Roosevelt High School

Overview

Roosevelt High is a Community School built in 1922. Roosevelt High does not have air conditioning in the building and does have its own kitchen. The building does not have a Safe and Welcoming Entrance, as defined by Capital Planning, Construction, and Maintenance. The building is 324,718 square feet in size and has a design enrollment of approximately 2,033 students.

Between school years 2014 and 2023, Minneapolis Public Schools has invested $16,807,729 in capital expenditures for the building. In 2017, a facilities condition assessment classified the building as being in fair condition. The Operations Division will be conducting another facilities condition assessment in calendar year 2025.

Roosevelt High had an enrollment of 1,240 students as of 01 October, 2024, with approximately 50.0% 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 61% of the building’s designed enrollment, making the current building use underutilized [‘underutilized’ is defined as enrollment totalling less than 70% 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 Roosevelt High.

Classroom Spaces

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

Plan Use	Actual Use	N Rooms
Classroom	Career and College Center	1
Classroom	Classroom	59
Classroom	Greenhouse	1
Classroom	Lab - Art	3
Classroom	Lab - Other	1
Classroom	Lab - Science	9
Classroom	Lab - Vocational	6
Classroom	Not in Use	1
Classroom	Office - General	2
Classroom	Office - Private	2
Classroom	Special Ed Resource Room	1
Classroom	Special Ed Self Contained Room	4
Classroom	Staff Room	1
Classroom	Storage	2
Lab - Art	Lab - Vocational	1
Lab - Computer	Lab - Computer	2
Lab - Computer	Office - Private	1
Lab - Computer	Storage	1
Lab - Computer	Testing Room	2
Other	Classroom	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 Roosevelt High, floorplan pages 1 through 4

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?

Despite being a 100-year-old building, Roosevelt is in good condition and offers a lot of flexibility in its use of space. The building’s design includes great natural lighting and fresh air, which helps create a welcoming atmosphere for students. The culinary arts program is particularly well-supported, and the layout of the building features excellent sightlines, allowing staff to monitor students easily, even in hallways. The school retains much of its historical character, with original elements like wood floors and cabinetry.

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?

One major issue is the significant variation in classroom sizes, which complicates the use of different teaching methods. Additionally, many rooms on the second floor still have outdated computer lab casework, which prevents them from being used for modern classroom needs. The building also suffers from temperature control issues; the HVAC system is difficult to manage, leading to inconsistent temperatures and discomfort, especially during hot weather. Some classrooms have portable AC units or large fans to cope, but the system remains inadequate. The lack of air conditioning in most areas, except for specialized rooms, makes the building uncomfortable during warm days, and the temperature fluctuates drastically within individual classrooms.

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

The school has experienced significant growth over the past 15 years, doubling its student population, which has outpaced the available furniture and resources. Much of the existing furniture is outdated and damaged, and more modern classroom setups will be needed to accommodate evolving teaching methods. There are hidden storage areas in the basement filled with old equipment, and the building’s lunch service is understaffed, despite having enough space and equipment for additional serving lines. The school also faces challenges with multilingual signage; despite being a dual language school, it lacks bilingual signage, which was requested but not approved. These issues, combined with the building’s growth and outdated systems, highlight the need for further investment and upgrades to meet the demands of modern education.

Overall Discussion Themes

Good condition, flexible space
Natural light, fresh air
Culinary arts program supported
Classroom size variation challenges
HVAC and temperature control issues

Survey Results

Fourteen questions were asked of walkthrough participants at the end of the walkthrough. There were 5 respondents to the survey at Roosevelt High. 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

Plot 1. Survey results for Roosevelt High

Select a School

Early Childhood

Elementary

Middle Schools

High Schools

Alternative Schools

Popular Pages