Finally! An ALTERNATIVE SITE has been announced and they want your vote now!!!

BIG NEWS: MPS is Considering an Alternative to Tearing Down Cooper Park! They are asking for your opinion!!!

Take this quick 2-minute survey provided by MPS => Survey

Because of the immense pressure put on the district; due to the proposed 14-16 school closures and your push-back of the destruction of Cooper Park, Minneapolis Public Schools is finally doing something they rarely do: they are actually listening to the community.

It is profoundly hypocritical and insulting for the district to tell thousands of school children and their families that we have 'too many schools', while simultaneously trying to fast-track a $100 million brand-new school from scratch. Shutting neighborhood school doors with one hand and writing blank checks for developers with the other is irresponsible, underhanded, and a complete betrayal of public trust.

But now the district just sent out a major update. The School Board passed a resolution authorizing the Superintendent to officially evaluate a second location option for the new Anishinabe Academy. Instead of tearing down our beloved Cooper Park, they are now seriously looking at utilizing the Wilder Complex at 3345 Chicago Avenue.

Community feedback has moved the needle. But the fight isn't over yet. The door has cracked open—now let’s push it all the way through and save Cooper Park for good!

 The benefits of the Wilder Complex for Anishinabe Academy:

•   Proximity to the Indigenous Hub: Located along Chicago Avenue, Wilder is much closer to the Phillips neighborhood—the cultural heart of the city's Native American community. This shortens daily bus commutes and places families closer to essential neighborhood anchors like the Minneapolis American Indian Center and the Native American Community Clinic.
•  Ready-Made, Substantially Larger Footprint: Unlike the restricted 3.7-acre Cooper block which forces an invasive multi-story layout and underground parking, the spacious Wilder Complex can easily absorb a full PK–8 curriculum. It features modern, fully compliant infrastructure, including a brand-new secured entrance opened in January 2026.
• Accelerated Timeline for Students: Building at the vacant Cooper site requires a massive multi-year demolition and construction process, keeping Anishinabe cramped in shared spaces until 2029. Because Wilder is a standing, operational facility, it only requires fast-tracked interior classroom updates, allowing students to move in years sooner.
• Spacious Grounds for Cultural Programming: Anishinabe’s curriculum heavily integrates outdoor learning and traditional medicine gardens. The expansive, open-air acreage at the Wilder property offers ample room to construct secure outdoor classrooms and expansive plant beds without destroying shared neighborhood parkland.                                                                                                                                                                               Choosing Wilder means we protect a vital neighborhood green space, playground, and community sanctuary at Cooper Park while efficiently utilizing a structurally sound, standing MPS facility.

ACTION ITEM: Take the 2-Minute Survey Right Now!

The district is explicitly using this survey to judge community support. We need a massive wave of responses to prove that the neighborhood demands the preservation of our parks.

It’s Quick and Private: The survey is only 5 questions long and takes less than 3 minutes.
100% Anonymous: The district has confirmed that the form will not automatically collect your name, email address, or personal details unless you choose to volunteer them.
 

CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE MPS FEEDBACK SURVEY=> Survey

 Need help filling it out? Use these Talking Points for your responses:

• Vote for the Wilder Complex: Explicitly select or express support for the Wilder Complex (3345 Chicago Avenue) as the superior option.
• Highlight Fiscal Responsibility: Remind the district that retrofitting an existing, standing MPS facility is far more financially and ethically responsible during a $50 million budget deficit and a potential 16 school closure.
• Protect Public Infrastructure: State clearly that the district should not destroy a vital, 100-year-old community park and newly rebuilt playground infrastructure when viable building alternatives already exist in their inventory.
• Avoid Environmental Damage: Note that the Cooper site requires extensive excavation, park destruction, and massive permitting hurdles, while the Wilder site is already fully zoned and structurally ready for educational use.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Please take the survey right now, and then forward this update, text the link, and talk to your friends and neighbors who want to keep our neighborhood parks intact.

Thank you for your tireless support!