PrattSchool.org :: About
Who Was Sidney Pratt, Anyway?
Sidney was the son of Robert Pratt, mayor of Minneapolis and superintendant of schools in 1898. Sidney was born in 1875, educated by Minneapolis public schools and graduated from North in 1893. He attended the University of Minnesota for 3 years, then enlisted in the 13th Minnesota Volunteers and was deployed to the Philippines on August 1, 1898. He died two weeks later — the first graduate of Minneapolis public schools to lose his life in the Spanish-American War.
Overview
Pratt is a K–5 elementary school within the Minneapolis Public Schools system. It’s located in the heart of Prospect Park at 66 Malcolm Ave. SE in Minneapolis. With around 185 students it’s the smallest and most historic elementary school in Minneapolis, and the best diverse school in the state. Its small size allows for individual attention and friendships across all grade levels.
What We Offer
More information about specific programs can be found here.
- K–5 education
- Full-day kindergarten
- On-site before- and after-school care through the Minneapolis Kids program.
- Consistently turns in some of the very best test scores in Minneapolis
- Arts + Science focus
- Small class sizes
- Intimate learning atmosphere
- Art Education
- Music Education
- Physical Education / Gym
- Media Education / Library
- Special Education
- Adult Community Education
- ELL (English Language Learner) Education for both Hmong and Somali speakers
- Experienced teachers (Pratt’s least experienced homeroom teacher has been with Minneapolis public schools for 15 years)
- Peace and Human Rights site with participation in the annual Peace Prize Festival
- Busing across a large portion of the city
- Culturally and economically diverse classrooms
- Performing arts programs led by community organizations such as the Children’s Theater Company’s Neighborhood Bridges program
- A historically intact school building built before the turn of the last century
- A high degree of parental and neighborhood involvement in the school
- An investment of $1.5 million in upgrading the school by the neighborhood, over and above the amount contributed by the school system itself
- Annual talent show
- Annual ice cream social
- Peanut-free site
School-Closing Status
Pratt is not on the list of schools to be closed. In February of 2004 Pratt was added to a list of Minneapolis schools to be closed, but was removed in November of 2004 with the full support of the Minneapolis school board and has remained off the list ever since. Pratt’s proponents made a strong case backed by solid numbers showing that Pratt is not only one of the city’s most successful schools but also a very low-cost facility which requires little or no subsidy.
Beginning with the 2007–2008 school year, the program at the former Tuttle Elementary school was merged into the Pratt program.
Demographics
Pratt currently has approximately 185 students spread across K–5, and the school has grown dramatically in the last year. There are currently two kindergarten classrooms, one dedicated 1st grade classroom, one dedicated 2nd grade classroom, one combined 1st / 2nd grade classroom, and one class each for grades 3–5. Full enrollment will be approximately 240 students spread across 12 classrooms, two at each grade level. Roughly 40% of the current student population is white, 40% is African-American (roughly half of which are the children of Somali immigrants), and 15% is Asian-American (primarily Hmong). Approximately 15% receive special education services, 30% receive English-language learning services, and 50% qualify for free or reduced lunch. As a result, the school is naturally diverse across racial, ethnic and socio-economic boundaries. The school draws mainly from the surrounding Prospect Park/East River Road neighborhood and the former Tuttle busing area to the north, but families from all over the metro area are welcome to attend (and they do!) Most students walk to school, but three buses currently serve the E1, E2, C2, C3, and C4 attendance areas. Families from outside those busing areas must provide their own transportation.
History
Pratt opened in 1898 as Sidney Pratt Elementary, with 37 students and 1 teacher. By the 1960s it had expanded to more than 600 students in K–8, but as the Baby Boomers passed through the system its enrollment shrank until it was closed as an elementary school in 1982. It immediately reopened in 1983 as a full-fledged community education center, and continued to serve residents of all ages, races and incomes. By the late 1990s the number of children in the surrounding area began to grow substantially, and a portion of the Pratt Community Education Center was re-dedicated to elementary education. The building was updated and remodeled, new windows were installed, a new playground was created, and K–1 classrooms were reopened in the fall of 2000. Between 2000 and 2006, one new grade level was added each year until Pratt achieved its final K–5 status. Beginning with the 2007–2008 school year, the program at the former Tuttle Elementary school was merged into the Pratt program and the size of the Pratt population doubled. We expect to achieve a full enrollment of 240 students by the 2009–2010 school year.
More information regarding the history of Pratt can be found in the Historic Schools Success Stories report published by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
A Day In The Life Of Pratt
A movie of Pratt was made in 2003 by a neighborhood parent, Susan Gottlieb, as part of her essay project, A Sense of Place: Pratt Community Center. It shows classrooms as well as community education programs, all set to a funky soundtrack.