There are two surveys that you can take that are very important for making your voice heard.
1. The District's survey (open until Oct. 16)
- Make sure you name HIA as your school
- Ask the board to stop the Nov. 10 vote and wait for the newly elected board and for published goals to fix the budget
- Give one personal sentence about how this will change for you and how your family gets to school
2. Take the MFPS Survey
A separate, independent survey to hold the board accountable to families, outside the district's own process. Answer honestly about how the plan affects HIA and your family.
Write a letter to the board
Create a personal letter and send it from your own email. Include the following:
- Your Name
- Your School
- One or two sentences about what HIA means to you
- Ask them to stop the Nov. 10 vote and wait for the newly elected board and for published goals to fix the budget
- Send it to SchoolBoard@mpls.k12.mn.us This will go to all of the school board members.
Make a 60-second phone call
Call one (or all!) of the school board members. Below is a sample script that you can read (or use your own!)
"Hello, my name is [your name] and I live in Minneapolis. I am calling about the School Transformation plan and the closure vote planned for Nov. 10.
My ask is this: stop the Nov. 10 vote. Wait for the newoly elected board and for published goals to fix the budget.
Deputy Superintendent Ty Thompson told the board that closures are not a huge cost savings and that hasn't been the intent. No school-by-school savings have been published.
Hmong International Academy is too important to my family to be closed without a reason. Please stop the Nov. 10 vote.
Thank you for your time."
Below are the phone numbers that you can call:
- Superintendent's office: 612-668-0200 - Dr. Lisa Sayles-Adams
- District main line: 612-668-0000 - Ask to leave a message for the school board
- At-Large Board Members:
* Collin Beachy: 612-668-0447 (Chair)
* Kim Ellison: 612-668-0445 (Vice-Chair)
- District Board Members:
* Abdul Abdi: 612-895-0270 (Treasurer, District 1)
* Sharon El-Amin: 612-986-3281 (District 2)
* Lucie Skjefte: 612-814-7761 (District 3)
* Adriana Cerrillo: 612-986-1613 (District 4)
* Lori Norvell: 612-919-8136 (Clerk, District 5)
* Greta Callahan: 612-668-0049 (District 6)
MPS is holding community meetings throughout Minneapolis to hear from students, families, staff, and community members.
All meetings are scheduled for 6:00–7:30 p.m. MPS says interpreters in Hmong, Spanish, and Somali and childcare will be available.
Upcoming meetings:
September 30: Camden High School
October 1: Washburn High School
October 2: Edison High School
October 6: South High School
October 7: North High School
October 8: Southwest High School
October 9: Roosevelt High School
Want to get involved with our local HIA response? Reach out to us at hia@holdontohia.com and let us know!