Minneapolis school board election: Nine candidates on school closures, budgets and what comes next

It’s no secret that Minneapolis Public Schools faces some big challenges. Years of declining enrollment have reduced the district’s funding and spread the district’s resources over a number of buildings that school officials say no longer fit the district’s realities. A 2020 plan aimed at addressing racial inequities in the district didn’t end up doing so — instead its changes fueled the enrollment decline. Massive budget cuts in recent years have caused major reductions in popular programs at some schools. And the city is still reeling from the impact of Operation Metro Surge. The district’s finance department has also had a tumultuous year: Key finance staff were put on leave in January and ultimately left the district after $3 million was diverted from an employee health fund. Since then, more financial errors have come to light: the district missed out on more than $10 million annually in special education funding and was assessed more than $5 million in penalties from the IR