Mpls. charter school could close after eviction order

A north Minneapolis charter school will be evicted from its building under a district court ruling released Wednesday.

The Minnesota School of Science sued its authorizer, the Minneapolis school district, to stop the eviction. But a judge's ruling upholds the eviction order.

The charter school is $500,000 behind in rent because the state doesn't provide rent subsidies to charters that lease space from their authorizers.

The eviction might close the school, said Gene Scapankski, a founding board member of the charter.

"We would prefer not to do that of course but that may be the only option that's left to us," he said.

The charter has a little over a week to move out of the building.

Minneapolis Public Schools had planned to open an elementary school in the building this fall, but the ongoing litigation has delayed that plan until next school year.

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