With authority granted by the state legislature, the school board makes policy, selects the superintendent, and oversees the district's budget, curriculum, personnel, and facilities.

Students speak ninety different languages at home and most school communications are printed in English, Hmong, Spanish, and Somali.

[8] As a result of "a severe learning gap, continued enrollment decreases and financial shortfalls"[9] the district has at times proposed closing a number of schools, the majority in North Minneapolis.

As a result, a program called "The Choice is Yours" was created that gave low-income students support in attending suburban schools.

[14] For 2005, the America's Promise "Cities in Crisis" report calculated Minneapolis' four-year graduation rate at 45.3 percent, as compared to the 50-city average of 52.8.

Each zone will offer K–8 students access to the following magnet programs: International Baccalaureate (IB); Teaching philosophy: Open or Montessori; Spanish Dual Immersion; Curricular: Arts and Science.

Families with children enrolled in a citywide special education or English Language Learner program will continue to receive transportation across zones.

The plan closes six buildings – four schools and two administrative centers that also house alternative programs – at the end of the 2009–10 school year: 1250 West Broadway; Longfellow; Folwell; the Lehmann Center; Emerson, which would move to the Anwatin/Bryn Mawr site; and the Brown Building, which housed Anishinabe Academy.

The K–5 portion of Emerson Spanish Dual Immersion School will move intact to the Bryn Mawr/Anwatin site, with existing transportation services for those outside of the walk zone.

Emerson remains at their unique location near downtown Minneapolis and beautiful Loring Park, and has expanded to offer Hi–5 classes.

It describes itself as "a policy-making body responsible for selecting the superintendent and overseeing the district's budget, curriculum, personnel and facilities."

[24] Miscellaneous records such as newspaper clippings, minutes, reports, ledgers, promotional material and other items relating to the Minneapolis Public School district are available for research use.