Green Central Dual Language Elementary School

Overview

Green Central Dual Language Elementary is a Magnet School built in 1977. Green Central Dual Language Elementary does have air conditioning in the building and does not have its own kitchen. The building does have a Safe and Welcoming Entrance, as defined by Capital Planning, Construction, and Maintenance. The building is 117,773 square feet in size and has a design enrollment of approximately 670 students.

Between school years 2014 and 2023, Minneapolis Public Schools has invested $5,547,036 in capital expenditures for the building. In 2017, a facilities condition assessment classified the building as being in good condition. The Operations Division will be conducting another facilities condition assessment in calendar year 2025.

Green Central Dual Language Elementary had an enrollment of 596 students as of 01 October, 2024, with approximately 56.2% of those students qualifying for Free or Reduced-Price Lunch benefits. Note that families are still submitting Applications for Educational Benefits, so this proportion may change over the course of the school year. Total enrollment is approximately 89% of the building’s designed enrollment, making the current building use efficient [‘efficient’ is defined as enrollment totaling between 70% and 90% of the design enrollment].

Building Use

At direction of the Board of Education, in October 2024 district staff performed a physical space study of all District schools. This included a walkthrough of the buildings that included many different stakeholders – Board directors, principals, teachers, central office staff, custodians, and others. The tables, figures, and plots below are a summary of data collected during the walkthrough of Green Central Dual Language Elementary.

Classroom Spaces

See Table 1 below for how classrooms and labs are being used in the building.

Plan Use	Actual Use	N Rooms
Classroom	Classroom	25
Classroom	Intervention Room	1
Classroom	Lab - Science	1
Classroom	OT/PT Room	1
Classroom	SEL Space / Calming Room	1
Classroom	Special Ed Self Contained Room	1
Lab - Art	Lab - Art	1
Lab - Computer	Classroom	1
Lab - Computer	Lab - Computer	1

Table 1. Classroom and instructional spaces

Building Layout

The below figure[s] are building floorplans as annotated by building staff.

Figure 1. Floorplan for Green Central Dual Language Elementary, floorplan pages 1 through 2

Guided Discussion

A guided discussion consisting of three questions was held with those who participated in the walkthrough. The major themes are included below, as are more detailed summaries of walkthrough participants’ answers.

Question 1: In what ways does the physical environment in this building best support learning?

Green Central is thoughtfully designed to support student learning and well-being, with social-emotional learning spaces located throughout to ensure accessibility. Classrooms are equipped with sinks, minimizing disruption, and there are numerous small spaces near classrooms that can be used to support individual and small group learning. Special education (SPED) classrooms benefit from large rooms with windows, offering similarly sized spaces to those used in regular education. This promotes a positive climate and ensures SPED students have the resources they need. The building is filled with natural light, with windows in every classroom and hallways that are wide enough to allow smooth transitions between classes. There are well-organized conference rooms, offices, and family meeting spaces available, as well as a staff lounge with a stove. Music spaces are soundproofed and isolated from other classrooms to avoid disruption. Gendered student bathrooms are conveniently located near each other, allowing for better supervision. The school has a positive relationship with the local park, which provides additional outdoor space used for activities like the PE’s biking unit. The building’s central location makes it a hub for the community, and the ample indoor and outdoor spaces are well-suited to the school’s needs.

Question 2: In what way does the physical environment in this building interfere with how we would like learning to happen today and in the future?

The school faces several challenges related to its facilities. Only two of the kindergarten classrooms have restrooms, which is an issue for younger students and special education classes. Space availability means that speech therapy lacks a consistent space, first grade is split across two floors, and some fifth grade lockers are on a different floor. Additionally, the north side of the bleachers is unusable for assemblies, and there have been safety concerns with cars and motorcycles driving through green spaces. District-wide meetings sometimes disrupt after-school programs, negatively impacting student activities. The long walk to restrooms from music, band, and gym areas is inconvenient. Lighting in the building is not adjustable, and the fluorescent lighting is less than ideal. The kitchen cannot cook fresh food due to its limitations, and the acoustics in the lunchroom are poor, making it difficult to accommodate the entire student body.

Question 3: What should the district know or appreciate about the physical environment of this building?

The school has an excellent central location and abundance of natural light contributing to its appeal. There is a nice balance between openness and coziness, making it a desirable environment for families and staff alike. The school offers flexible spaces that support small group learning, and most classrooms are designed with areas where small groups can meet inside the room, rather than having to leave, which enhances the ability to meet students’ individual needs.

Overall Discussion Themes

Beautiful windows and natural light in every classroom
Similarly sized regular and special education classrooms
Great music spaces with soundproofing
Lack of classrooms with restrooms for young students
Split spaces and grade levels due to layout constraints

Survey Results

Fourteen questions were asked of walkthrough participants at the end of the walkthrough. There were 9 respondents to the survey at Green Central Dual Language Elementary. The questions the participants were asked are included in Table 2 below, and the response breakdowns are included in Plot 1 below.

Question	Question Short	Question Text
1	welcoming main entry	The main entry is welcoming and able to be used by all students and visitors.
2	physical space design supports program	Generally, the design of the learning spaces in the building supports the way we teach and learn (e.g. classrooms are large enough to fit student desks, small group work space, etc.; there is storage for necessary curriculum, tools, manipulatives; all students can hear when the teacher is talking).
3	enough classrooms	The building has enough classrooms to support the number of students enrolled in the program.
4	entire student body can meet together	The school has a space large enough for the entire student body to be together.
5	adequate academic intervention space	The school has sufficient pull-out space to support instructional needs.
6	adequate regulation space	The school has sufficient pull-out space to respond to student behaviors.
7	adequate SPED space	There are sufficient spaces to meet the needs of the school’s Special Education programming.
8	mental health space	There are sufficient spaces to meet the mental health needs of students.
9	adequate lunch room	The cafeteria can accommodate the entire student body in three lunch services.
10	gyms large enough	The gyms are large enough to meet the needs of the program.
11	enough admin space	There is enough administrative space to meet the needs of the program.
12	functional outdoor space	The outdoor environment provides space for both learning and play.
13	adequate restrooms	The restrooms in the building meet the needs of the student body in terms of location, quantity, and inclusion.
14	building feels bright and welcoming	The building feels bright, welcoming, and efficient.

Table 2. Survey questions

Survey Question Results: Green Central Elementary

Plot 1. Survey results for Green Central Dual Language Elementary

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