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MPS staff present physical-space study showing 72 buildings and widespread underuse
Summary
District staff told the Committee of the Whole the physical-space study documents 72 buildings (about 8 million sq ft), finds many buildings are old and underused, and will post detailed individual building reports to the Transformation website on Nov. 27, 2024.
At a Nov. 26 Committee of the Whole meeting, Minneapolis Public School District staff presented a districtwide physical-space study that inventories 72 school buildings covering roughly 8 million square feet and 436 acres. Staff said the study is a data resource to inform future decisions and explicitly is not a prescriptive facilities master plan.
The presentation listed study deliverables including annotated principal floor plans, a Use & Utilization report, on-site walkthroughs and dashboards. Staff noted the district’s building stock is old: 44% of buildings are over 90 years old and the average building age exceeds 68 years. The presentation highlighted the oldest building (Pratt Elementary, built 1898) and the newest facility (Adult Education Center on Lake St, 2018).
Staff also described the methods used for the physical-space work: principals provided color-coded, annotated floor plans that were reviewed during walkthroughs held Oct. 9–30, 2024, and participants completed guided discussions and short surveys to inform the Use & Utilization analysis. Staff said the walkthroughs and documentation are intended to produce both technical and stakeholder insights to show how district facilities align with programming and needs.
The presentation concluded with a near-term transparency step: staff will post individual building reports and summary reports by grade band to the Transformation website on Nov. 27, 2024. The district invited questions and directed stakeholders to the Transformation website for the full materials.
