Profits Over Patients: Minnesota Senators Push for Reform Amid Private Equity Takeover of Autism Therapy
By [Your Name/Journalistic Staff] In a move that could reshape the landscape of disability services in the United States, two Minnesota state senators are spearheading a legislative campaign to curb the growing influence of private equity firms within…
Minneapolis Public Schools Faces Crisis of Confidence as Massive Consolidation Plan Looms
By [Your Name/Journalistic Staff] The future of public education in Minneapolis hangs in a delicate balance. On Tuesday evening, Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) Superintendent Lisa Sayles-Adams unveiled a trio of aggressive, high-stakes proposals…
The Fading Bell: Rural Minnesota Grapples with the Heartbreak of School Consolidation
On a sun-drenched late summer morning in Hibbing, Minnesota, the rhythmic creak of swing sets and the laughter of toddlers offer a deceptive sense of permanence. Dave Benz watches closely as his twin granddaughters, Maya and Lucy, navigate the playground…
The Quiet Erosion: Rural Minnesota Grapples with the High Cost of School Consolidation
On a crisp, sunny morning in late August, the playground at Hibbing’s Greenhaven Elementary School hummed with the sounds of childhood—the rhythmic creak of swings and the tentative, giggling footsteps of two-year-old twins, Maya and Lucy. Their mother,…
The Death of the Neighborhood School: Minnesota’s Rural Education Crisis
On a crisp, sun-drenched morning in Hibbing, Minnesota, the rhythmic sound of toddler laughter echoes across a playground that, in a few short months, may fall silent forever. Dave Benz watches as his daughter, Sabrina Weberg, helps his twin…
The Vanishing Anchor: The Emotional and Economic Toll of Rural School Consolidation
On a sun-drenched, late-summer morning in Hibbing, Minnesota, the rhythmic sound of toddler laughter rings out across the Greenhaven Elementary playground. Dave Benz pushes his twin granddaughters, Maya and Lucy, on the swings, their tiny hands clutching…
The High Price of Survival: Minnesota’s Rural Schools Face a New Era of Consolidation
On a sun-drenched late summer morning in Hibbing, Minnesota, the local playground near Greenhaven Elementary is quiet, save for the laughter of two-year-old twins, Maya and Lucy. Their grandfather, Dave Benz, watches as they navigate the climbing…
The Erosion of the Anchor: Minnesota’s Rural School Districts Face an Existential Crossroads
On a crisp, late-summer morning in Hibbing, Minnesota, the playground at Greenhaven Elementary is quiet. Dave Benz, a local resident, pushes his twin granddaughters, Maya and Lucy, on the swings. In a few days, the girls will turn three—a milestone that…
The Fragile Anchor: Rural Minnesota Schools Face an Existential Reckoning
On a crisp, late-summer morning in Hibbing, Minnesota, the rhythmic sound of toddler laughter echoes across a playground that, in a few months, may fall silent forever. Dave Benz watches as his daughter, Sabrina Weberg, helps his twin granddaughters,…
Turning the Page: Minnesota’s Literacy Revolution and the Battle Over the READ Act
This story was produced as part of ThreeSixty Journalism’s 2026 Capitol Reporting Workshop for Minnesota youth, with financial support from the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation. For Hennepin County Commissioner and former state representative…
