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Minneapolis Public Schools leaders will present three options tonight for dealing with ongoing financial problems, and officials have signaled that school closures will be on the table.

Why it matters: Parent anxiety has been building for years as declining enrollment has prompted talk of closures to stave off cuts to other programs and services.

• Superintendent Lisa Sayles-Adams noted in a video message to parents that some of the options will be "universally celebrated, and others … may cause trepidation."

State of play: Details on the three plans won't be posted until the 5pm meeting, but they will include specific schools and programs, according to MPS.

• Whatever changes are coming will be implemented for the 2027-28 school year, Sayles-Adams said in her video.

The big picture: MPS enrollment has declined from nearly 36,000 a decade ago to 28,827 last school year, a trend officials have blamed on changing demographics in the city as well as increased school choices. Enrollment also dropped following a redrawing of school boundaries and shuffling of magnet schools in 2020.

• That has led to more than half of the district's 56 schools operating below 70% capacity, according to the Star Tribune.

Between the lines: Enrollment declines mean less state money, but the district's budget woes have also been worsened by accounting errors that have cost MPS millions, according to the Minnesota Reformer.

• This year it had to erase a $40 million deficit.

The other side: Any plan that calls for shuttering schools is bound to face stiff opposition. Parent groups have already organized and the teachers union opposes closures.

• Three candidates for school board in November — Christin Crabtree, Shannon Gibney and Becca Dryden — released a statement saying that schools should not be closed before MPS provides clear plans for retaining students and how closures will realize cost savings.

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⚖️ St. Paul's Hmongtown Marketplace is facing a foreclosure lawsuit tied to $6.6 million in allegedly unpaid debt. (Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal)

📺 KARE 11's Julie Nelson returned to the anchor desk last night, three months after she was injured in a boat crash. (Bring Me The News)

🏈 Vikings QB Kyler Murray is in the NFL's concussion protocol, and his status for Sunday's game against Chicago is up in the air. (Star Tribune)

• Head coach Kevin O'Connell called the hit on Murray by the Packers violent and physical, but said it wasn't dirty.

🔎 GOP gubernatorial candidate Lisa Demuth called on Gov. Tim Walz to fire two high-level agency officials in light of the Star Tribune's recent reporting on the administration's fraud response. (KSTP)

• Democrat Amy Klobuchar responded by reiterating a pledge to conduct a full audit of state agencies, saying she "will not wait to take action" to fire officials who fail to stop fraud.
• A Walz spokesperson pointed to new leadership at the Department of Human Services.

Former St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter has a new title: CEO.

State of play: Carter, who lost his re-election bid to Kaohly Her last November, starts today as the top boss at Fuse, a national nonprofit that "helps local governments accelerate solutions to complex challenges."

How it works: Fuse runs an executive fellowship program that places policy experts in local governments across the country to help local officials address issues ranging from affordability to climate to public safety.

What he's saying: "My fundamental belief has always been that the way we move America forward isn't some push from D.C., but it's local communities across the country working together to pull the country forward," Carter told Axios in an interview ahead of this morning's announcement.

• Fuse, he said, can play a big role in that innovation by asking local governments "what's the biggest thing that you don't have the capacity to do," then providing the support for them to make real progress.

Case in point: During Carter's tenure, the city brought on a Fuse fellow to work on sustainable transportation initiatives.

Between the lines: Carter's focus on ambitious policy pilots as mayor both raised his profile and emerged as a liability during his re-election campaign.

• He said he remains steadfast in his belief "that the job of local governments is to innovate," arguing that Fuse can help officials push for change even when they "don't have a budget line" for such experiments.

What we're watching: Carter hasn't ruled out another eventual run for office, but said he expects to remain at Fuse "for the foreseeable future."

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Outdoor enthusiasts with a passion for graphic design have a chance to pitch a new look for one of Minnesota's most popular specialty license plates.

Driving the news: The Department of Natural Resources launches its state parks plate redesign contest today.

• The winning plate must celebrate the North Shore or the Lake Superior agate (aka Minnesota's state gem), the state Legislature dictated this spring.

Context: The plates, which cost $60, double as an annual park permit. Proceeds from the sales benefit state parks and trails.

How it works: Minnesota residents can submit mock-ups that meet the design requirements, along with a short essay on how their submission celebrates the theme, online through Oct. 31.

⛔️ Entries that incorporate photos or were made using artificial intelligence will be disqualified.

What's next: The DNR will select three finalists for a public vote later this year.

• The winner gets bragging rights.

Full details

📺 Torey is thrilled for Matthew Rhys, even though "Widow's Bay" was too creepy for her taste!

😋 Audrey is testing her new slow cooker with this chicken taco recipe.

🇸🇪 Nick has been reading "The Emigrants" series about the people who left Sweden for Minnesota. Harrowing!

✌️ Kyle is off.

This newsletter was edited by Larry Graham.