Troubled charter school closes in Minneapolis

A troubled charter school in Minneapolis abruptly closed in early September after the nonprofit overseeing its operations announced its intention to revoke the school's contract for problems, including unacceptably low academic scores and struggling finances, according to records released Monday by the Minnesota Department of Education.

LoveWorks Academy for Arts, which has performed abysmally on standardized tests for more than a decade, closed abruptly Sept. 6 without public explanation. Records show the school could have remained open until Nov. 5 to give families more time to find a new home for their students.

School officials could not be reached for comment.

The school was featured in the Minnesota Star Tribune's recent series detailing oversight problems and widespread failures among Minnesota's charter schools.

Donald Allen, the school's most recent executive director, was let go in June after he complained that students were allowed to waste time "coloring" and watching YouTube videos instead of receiving regular instruction, according to written reports. He referred to the school as a "day care."

"I feel bad for the students," Allen said Monday. "I think it's horrible the school got asked to close like that. But the board made too many bad decisions."

In his final written report on the school, Allen blamed LoveWorks' financial problems on negligent oversight by its board, noting the school's transportation contractor had no limit when he arrived, leading to some kids being sent home in pricey cabs. The school was on track to spend $540,000 on transportation for its 131 students last year, a rate four times the state average.

A spokeswoman for Pillsbury United Communities, which has overseen the school on behalf of the state as its authorizer, said LoveWorks was the first put on probation in 2020 due to "failure to meet academic and operational goals."

Probation was lifted the following year, even though LoveWorks continued to post some of the lowest test scores in the state, and Pillsbury United awarded LoveWorks a new three-year contract in 2023.

Allen said Pillsbury United, a Minneapolis nonprofit, did a poor job as an authorizer.

"They gave me no support," Allen said. "I filed detailed complaints. They never responded to me. Never did anything."

In a written response to questions, Pillsbury United said it sent "multiple intervention letters" to LoveWorks during the 2023-24 school year involving the school's academic and financial performance, as well as turnover at the top. Allen was the school's third leader in a year.

Pillsbury United spokeswoman Evette Porter said it is "regrettable" that Allen blamed the nonprofit for the school's problems, noting Pillsbury United did not have the authority to remove board members or establish a new board. She said the nonprofit met with Allen and "provided support" within legal limitations.

"It is the responsibility of the school leader, in this case Mr. Allen, along with the board, to address and resolve the concerns that [Pillsbury United] raised over the past few years," Porter said in a written statement. "Unfortunately, the challenges faced by LoveWorks Academy were unresolved, leading to closure of the charter school."

Pillsbury United said the grounds for termination included failure to meet requirements for student performance, governance problems and "failure to comply with all applicable laws."

In 2024, just 1.3% of the students at LoveWorks were performing at grade level in math, while 7.1% were proficient in reading, state records show. Attendance last year averaged 61%, below the state average of 75%.

In his report, Allen noted that several critical teaching positions were filled by paraprofessionals "who were not qualified" for the jobs. He said the school also relied on "outdated and inconsistent instructional methods" that left students ill-prepared for advancement.

Allen said enrollment also was suffering from the school's "reputation as a corporal punishment school," noting its excessive use of "physical holds" and other "restrictive procedures" led to several complaints and state investigations. Enrollment at LoveWorks fell from 247 to 131 students over the past decade.

School officials appealed the revocation and met with Pillsbury United in late August, but the revocation notice says school officials "did not fundamentally challenge" the authorizer's findings.

The school's fund balance, the most critical measure of a school's financial health, fell from $341,000 in 2022 to $39,860 in 2023. The school went into the red in 2024, according to board minutes, with its deficit topping $400,000 in May.

Michaelynn McCarron, who worked as a paraprofessional at LoveWorks, said just 13 students showed up for the first day of classes on Sept. 3 because of rumors of the school's pending demise. She said she received an email later that day telling her that her job had been terminated.

"We want to express our dedication to our students and community during your time with us," the email said. "Your contributions have been invaluable and greatly appreciated."

McCarron said uncertainty about how long the school would be open caused some teachers to quit in late August.

"Everybody was extraordinarily tense," she said, adding the school last year was a "hotbed of chaos" that also left her questioning whether she wanted to return this year. "But I liked what I did, and I wanted to be at that school."