New CTE wing being built at Roosevelt High School

In July 2026, construction on the northeast side of Roosevelt’s building began on the Career and Technical Education (CTE) wing. Construction is ongoing as the wing expands onto the previous staff parking lot and is scheduled to finish in September of 2027.

The MPS school district has initiated this renovation to expand the trade focused CTE election hub at Roosevelt. According to the Minneapolis building updates website, the construction includes interior renovations to the existing construction labs as well as an expansion of the auto shop, a new entrance, classrooms, welding, machine and small engine spaces.

CTE director Paul Klym says that by expanding and creating these CTE dedicated centers the program’s goal is to “allow students, regardless of where they live in the school district, to take a course in a career exploration phase that could either help a student earn industry credentials and certifications or just even potentially college credit.”

In addition to expanding the current classes, the machine shop class from South High is moving to the Roosevelt CTE wing over the summer. South High’s student newspaper The Southerner, reported on this transition. According to the Southerner, there are concerns that many students will not choose to bus to Roosevelt unless they are already very interested in pursuing machine shop.

Mr. Klym acknowledged this concern and shared that part of the new proposed district transformation plan includes adding introductory courses at all Minneapolis high schools in order for students to explore their interests in these CTE classes before enrolling in the classes later in their high school careers.

Another area experiencing change as a result of this construction is student parking. The CTE wing will be expanding onto some of the footprint from the previous staff parking lot and a week before the school year began, Principal Ledesma emailed the student body with an update: “Our parking lot by the Roosevelt football field, historically used by students, is now a Staff Parking Lot only. There will be no student parking lot.”

When hearing this news, many students were upset. One student who drives to school every day shared that when she learned about the changes in parking she felt annoyed, “It doesn’t make sense. There’s more students than teachers.” But, when she was asked if she had found it hard to find parking she shared, “Actually, not really.”

Senior Max Luckow says that he thinks not having a designated student parking lot is fine. He thinks it “promotes healthier ways of getting to school.” Another student shared that he has seen more bikes locked up at the school bike racks than previous years.

Thora Anderson is a student at Roosevelt High School. This article originally appeared in the Roosevelt Standard school newspaper.