LCC Requests Delay of School Transformation Vote

The following letter was sent to the MPS School Board and MPS Leadership on October 9, 2026
10-9-26 LCC Statement on MPS Transformation Plan

As a Minneapolis neighborhood organization, the Longfellow Community Council (LCC) represents 22,000 residents in the Cooper, Hiawatha, Howe, and Longfellow neighborhoods. Since the Minneapolis Public School District shared three School Transformation plan options on September 15th, 2026, LCC has heard from residents, parents, and school leaders. LCC co-hosted a community open house on September 24th with local elected leaders, attended by more than 150 neighbors. Through these interactions, we have heard from community members that more information is needed from MPS in order to truly understand the three options proposed and to explore alternative options.

While we recognize the diverse perspectives within our community regarding the proposed Transformation Plan options, there is consensus that the process is moving too quickly. And while opinions vary on specific recommendations, we all share a deep, collective investment in our city’s future of public education and believe changes like these should not be rushed. 

Community schools are at the heart of Greater Longfellow and essential to the vitality of the community. Our neighborhood schools serve not only as learning spaces for our children but also offer holistic care for students’ health, stability, and education under one roof. Beyond classroom hours, our neighborhood schools act as community hubs—providing green spaces, meeting facilities, and programming that connects neighbors across generations and fosters local connection, stability, and belonging.

Any proposal to close or merge schools, adjust boundaries, or alter staffing has deep and permanent impacts for our students, families, and surrounding neighborhoods.

Because the stakes are so high, LCC strongly urges the MPS Board of Education to delay its scheduled vote on the Transformation Plan. Extending the timeline will allow the district to conduct broader, more meaningful community outreach, provide answers for our community and collect additional feedback. Furthermore, postponing the vote aligns this momentous decision with the incoming school board, ensuring that the commissioners who vote on the final plan are the same leaders responsible for overseeing its long-term implementation and holding the district accountable to our community. The goal of the additional time and opportunity to collect community feedback is to help produce results which are rooted in keeping our communities healthy.

We respectfully submit this request for the School Board’s consideration, confident that it is in the best interest of our community.

Sincerely,

The Longfellow Community Council Board of Directors