High school at Mall of America likely to close after 19 years

Shifting economics at the Mall of America are prompting the closure of a small public high school housed inside the mall for the last 19 years, the Star Tribune reports.

The mall wants the school’s third-floor space after subsidizing its rent to the tune of a $10 million break over the years, and participating districts seem inclined not to pay to renovate a new space, the newspaper reports.

Minneapolis and Bloomington have already voted to dissolve the Metropolitan Learning Alliance school, and the school’s board is scheduled Thursday night to consider closure. Richfield and St. Paul also are also represented on the school's board.

Bloomington school Board Member Arlene Bush, who leads the mall school’s board, said the move to close has happened rather suddenly.

The school offers core academic courses along with courses that earn students college credit, and it has offered internships with businesses. It had just 68 10th- to 12th-graders last school year, the Star Tribune says. The plan now is for students to finish up the school year and then transfer to other schools.