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The Fallout of Minneapolis Public Schools’ Financial Crisis

Minneapolis teachers could strike in November, unless the union and district can reach an agreement today. The main issue: class sizes. The union wants MPS to actually enforce the class size caps they agreed on in 2022. But through a loophole, class sizes have increased as a way for schools to cut costs. [Sahan Journal]

• Crowded classrooms: Sahan Journal found that 1 in 5 Minneapolis elementary schools were over the class size limit. Parents worry their children, especially those with special needs, aren’t getting the teacher attention they need. [Sahan Journal]
• Dwindling reserves: MPS anticipated using all of its monetary reserves this year. They were able to balance the budget, but deficits could reach millions of dollars in the next few years. [Minneapolis Schools Voices]
• Less students, more costs: The Minneapolis School Board is looking into closing schools to manage costs. Declining enrollment has decreased the district’s funding and increased its cost per student. The district hired a demographer, who projects low birth rates will continue the problem. [Minnesota Reformer]
• 55 years, one strike (so far): The last MPS teacher strike was in 2022. Before that, it was 1970. [MSP Magazine]

🍎 Food stamps stoppage: Funding for SNAP benefits could expire in November, unless Congress can finally end the government shutdown by passing a spending bill. 440,000 Minnesotans rely on SNAP – mostly children, seniors and people with disabilities. [MN Reformer]

💃 Hometown star: Maple Grove High School alum Taylor Sieve was featured in Taylor Swift’s music video for “The Fate of Ophelia”. Taylor (of MG fame) was also a "So You Think You Can Dance" contestant! [Bring Me The News]

🍚 Dinner plans: Jook Sing is a restaurant pop-up inside Bar Brava serving modern Chinese American food. Tucked away off Broadway, it’s easy to miss Bar Brava altogether. The chow fun noodles are thick squares, just the way I like it, served with generous cuts of beef steak. [MSP Magazine]

🚆 All aboard, in 2027: The long-delayed Green Line Extension (a.k.a the Southwest Light Rail) is inching toward completion. One local Redditor posted a sneak peek of the shiny new trains on social media. Can any train heads tell me about these models? [Reddit]

🤤 Cheap(er) eats: If you’re looking for lunch/dinner on a budget, why not check out businesses participating in Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine’s Restaurant Week? I have reservations for Umbra, but Tiny Diner (lunch for $19) and Xelas (dinner for $45) sound delicious. [City Cast Twin Cities]

📰 Fact check: Claims of immigration fraud in the Twin Cities have been greatly exaggerated on social media. A recent federal immigration operation found 275 cases of fraud out of the 1000 investigated, not 50 percent of all immigrants, like some claim. [MinnPost]

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