Minneapolis school board members propose pause on school closure plans

After community pushback, some Minneapolis school board members are proposing a pause on sweeping school closure plans.

The "transformation plan" would address declining enrollment and, the district says, "improve student experience."

"As a parent, I feel nervous around the plan as a whole," Said Shakiya Carter-Burt, who has three kids in the district, including two at a school slated to close under the plan.

Carter-Burt added, "We know closing schools is not a strategy that is going to attract people to the district."

And now, action from the school board. Two members, Sharon El-Amin and Greta Callahan, coauthored a resolution to pause the district's plan. Something the nine school board members will vote on as soon as Tuesday.

"The board is listening," said Carter-Burt. "It makes me feel our voices are being heard."

WCCO spoke to school board member Greta Callahan on the phone Friday. She said plainly, "This came from constituent feedback."

Callahan expects the resolution to pass, saying it's the best thing to retain families in the district and calm the chaos over the latest proposals.

Shannon Gibney, prospective new board member, is running unopposed in District 3. If elected, she would start in January.

"I'm currently running unopposed in District 3, which is in south Minneapolis," said Gibney.

She is energized by the resolution to pause closures.

"People are relieved," said Gibney. "They're hopeful somebody has taken a stand."

If it passes, there would be no closures through next school year. But the conversation is far from over.

"There's many things in Minneapolis Public Schools that are not working the way they need to work in order to stabilize the district," said Gibney. "I'm really looking forward to it even though I know it's going to be really hard."