Wellstone International High School
This school's building leaves service in all three options.
What happens under each option
Programming merges into South. Supports for multilingual students ages 18-22 move to South.
Same.
Same.
Source: MPS proposed options pages, read Sept 17, 2026 [MPS], and the unprogrammed-building maps on slide 82 [presentation].
The building
MPS's building reports don't list a design capacity for this site. That's typical for high schools and specialty programs, whose reports cover program space rather than a seat count.
Design capacity from MPS building reports, Table 2 [MPS]. Enrollment is the state's official Oct 1, 2025 count, grades K-12 [MDE].
Too small for MPS student experience
Slide 6 of the Sept 15, 2026 presentation [presentation].
Your community meeting
This school doesn't have a single assigned pathway meeting. See all meeting dates.
What the district has not answered about this school
- What would closing this school save? MPS has published net savings only by option, not for any individual school.
- How many of this school's students does MPS expect to stay in the district?
- How many students would this school need to be sustainable, and what is the plan to recruit them?
- What evidence ties the district's size minimum to student outcomes? MPS left the minimums out of the 118 slides and confirmed them on Sept 25: 432 students for a community elementary under 70% free and reduced meals, 360 at or above 70%.
Director Callahan asked about savings, retention and sustainability at the Sept 15 work session and asked for answers by the Oct 13 business meeting. What the board heard.
Who decides
All nine board members vote on Wellstone International High School Nov 10. One represents this school's district; three more represent every school in the district, regardless of address.
The tag under each name is our read of their stance, based on the Sept 15, 2026 work session and Oct 14, 2025 votes on file — not their own statement of a position.
Sept 15, 2026 work session (virtual): endorsed the request for per-school savings, saying "it's very important to see exactly how much exactly that we are saving," and asked for a clearer engagement plan for families and students. Oct 14, 2025: voted against the "sweet spot" definition and for Resolution 2025-0045.
Sept 15, 2026 work session: asked seven questions, including whether the board can combine options (staff: yes), what success metrics are (no target or date given), and how much of the deficit the plan solves. Staff answered that closures are "not a huge cost savings." Thanked staff in closing. Oct 14, 2025: voted against defining the enrollment "sweet spot" as 70-89% capacity, and for Resolution 2025-0045.
Sept 15, 2026 work session: "You guys brought back exactly what we asked you to do... I think I have enough information." Asked no questions requiring answers. Suggested Afrocentric programming and raised the safety of adult Wellstone students at South. Oct 14, 2025: voted against the "sweet spot" definition and for Resolution 2025-0045.
Sept 15, 2026 work session (virtual): said staff "followed direction exquisitely" and called the plan "courageous." Asked nine questions on North Minneapolis equity, walk zones, dual language, inclusion, interventionists and libraries. Oct 14, 2025: proposed defining the "sweet spot" as 70-89% capacity (failed 2-6) and cast the only vote against Resolution 2025-0045.
These board members represent other parts of the district. The administration doesn't vote, but sets the agenda the board votes on.
Board members' emails and phones are theirs directly, from the MPS Board of Education page. Administrator contacts are their own direct lines, from MPS's staff directory.
This school's board district is confirmed. Check it yourself.
Ask them to stop the vote and wait for the newly elected board and for published goals to fix the budget.