Robbinsdale School District considers mergers, closures to address $21M budget shortfall

Possible merger of rival Robbinsdale high schools

To help their struggling budget, Cooper High School and Armstrong High School might merge. FX 9's Babs Santos has more.

ROBBINSDALE, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Robbinsdale School Board met Tuesday night to address possible solutions for a $21 million budget shortfall, including closing schools and potentially building a new high school.

Robbinsdale School District financial challenges

The backstory:

Robbinsdale Area Schools is dealing with a $21 million budget shortfall due to rising costs, declining enrollment, and leadership instability. The district has had four superintendents in five years, and last year, it operated without a permanent chief financial officer or a finance director, leading to a $20 million compensatory funding being counted twice. 

The district's enrollment has dropped from over 28,000 students in 1971 to just over 10,000 in 2024-25, leading to reduced state funding. A recent report also highlighted that funds meant for students with special learning needs were often used to balance the budget.

Community members learned about challenges and plans to address the budget during a town hall meeting Tuesday night. The district emphasized that their recommendations aim to expand opportunities and raise academic excellence.

Proposed solutions:

The school district, which currently operates more buildings than it needs, is considering significant changes to its infrastructure. The district is recommending having fewer middle schools and cutting the number of elementary schools from 12 to between six and nine. The consolidation could save the district between $500,000 to more than $1 million per closed building.

The proposed budget fix also includes merging Cooper and Armstrong high schools and building a new high school building. The new building means voters would have to approve a referendum on a building bond, something that hasn’t happened in 45 years. 

"We are urging prompt board action of these recommendations because our district does not have the luxury of time. The reality is that the district has pressing financial problems and is now in statutory operating debt," the report reads. 

A school board-approved special operating plan, detailing how the district will get out of debt, must be submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education by Jan. 31, 2026.

The full proposal can be read below.