Dear MPS Leadership and Board Members,

As committed educators and staff of Minneapolis Public Schools, we urge district leadership to revise the current FY26 budget draft to reflect a genuine investment in Latine students and families through the continued support and full funding of the Office of Latine Achievement (OLA).

OLA exists today because of years of advocacy led by Latine families in MPS (2019–2023), who demanded a dedicated office to address the cultural, linguistic, and institutional barriers that have long impacted Latine students’ educational outcomes.

Since its launch in 2023, OLA has built a team of 12 bicultural, bilingual, biliterate professionals whose work directly supports Latine students across our district, now 23% of our student population. Their programming includes academic coaching, family advocacy, mental health and social-emotional support groups, youth leadership development, literacy programs, professional development for staff, and culturally affirming school partnerships. The impact of this work has been both meaningful and measurable in our schools and classrooms.

Despite this, the proposed FY26 budget includes:

• A reduction of OLA staff by two-thirds (from 12 to just 4 FTEs)
• The elimination of the entire operating budget (from $138,000 in FY25 to $0)
• A restructuring that would place OLA under the Multilingual Department’s control, disregarding that OLA is not an ESL program
• The loss of OLA autonomy over its programs and budget with the elimination of its leadership

This would amount to a 71% cut, disproportionate and inequitable compared to other departments within the Division of Academics, including the Offices of Black Student Achievement and American Indian Education. These proposed changes would severely compromise OLA’s ability to serve Latine students and families across the district.

OLA’s mission is not about teaching English, it is about creating equitable and culturally affirming environments in which Latine students can thrive. When a student like Maria, who is grieving her father’s deportation, receives support from an OLA coach, that support is not ancillary, it is transformative. As MPS educators, we witness firsthand the difference OLA makes in the lives of our students and families.

MPS has publicly celebrated a 44% increase in Latine student enrollment, from 16% in 2022 to 23% in 2025. If the district truly aims to retain and support this growing population, as stated in the Star Tribune and in board resolutions, it must invest in the programs that serve them.

We, the undersigned MPS staff, call on the district to ensure that the FY26 budget:

• Restores 10 OLA positions (1 Director, 2 Coordinators, and 7 Student Coaches), rejecting the proposed cuts
• Reinstates OLA’s operating budget to $100,000
• Maintains OLA’s autonomy and leadership within the Division of Academics
• Upholds the original vision and mission of OLA, created by and for the Latine community

As educators, we are committed to providing an anti-racist, culturally responsive education. That commitment must be reflected in our budget priorities, starting with the programs that uplift and empower our Latine students and families.