We officially hit 300 signatures! Thank you all for your continued advocacy. This petition has been shared with the Minneapolis School Board. Now it will be shared with all of the upcoming MPS Board candidates. Unfortunately, Cooper's District 5 School Board candidates (Becca Dryden & Molly Chase) currently support tearing down the park, hopefully they will understand how much support there is in our community for an alternative plan and change their stance before November.
*Below is a link showing line-item comparison of the estimated costs utilizing Longfellow School vs demolishing Cooper:
Longfellow vs Cooper line-item comparison
If the school board looks at these numbers side-by-side, the financial case becomes incredibly clear.
Take Action at the Wednesday Meeting:
The MPS Board is holding a public meeting on the Anishinabe Project this Wednesday July 8th, 6pm @ Sanford Middle School 3524 42nd Ave. S Minneapolis. We need to press the Board as to why they would choose to demolish Cooper Park, when it makes more rational sense to utilize an operational school, like Longfellow.
Here is a link to send your questions ahead of time to be addressed at this meeting:
Question form for Wednesday's MPS meeting
Let's keep getting the word out. If everyone got just 1 more signature, we can easily get past 500 signatures! Share this petition with any large Facebook, Reddit, Nextdoor or Instagram groups (especially ones focusing on education, or Minneapolis issues)
Next update: A detailed explanation and cost-breakdown showing how if Minneapolis Public Schools teamed up with a private or nonprofit Art Studio Space management company, they could re-purpose Cooper School. Saving a beautiful neighborhood landmark, by turning it into a long-term, profitable asset for the School Board.