PROSPECT PARK—The longtime adult community education program at Pratt Community School is still going strong, school officials say, despite new challenges for space and resources after the merger of Tuttle Elementary into the building this fall.

Classes will begin the first week of October, with various daytime, evening and Saturday-morning offerings — not only the 50-plus classes offered each quarter for adults, but annual events like a pancake breakfast, rummage sale and ice cream social, among others.

Community education at the school is operating at nearly the same level as it has in the past, with some exceptions, according to Deb Clark, community education specialist, who said that 90 percent of the community education classes are still held at Pratt, while some adult basic education courses — such as English adult learners — have been absorbed by other community education locations.

One change is that there are actually more activities for children in the works, including before-and after-school child care and leadership courses.

Earlier on, it was unclear how the program would weather the Tuttle-Pratt transition. To maintain Pratt’s regular enrichment classes — which have made it a popular gathering place over the past 20 years — Clark said community education has turned to local organizations for additional support.

The Southeast Seniors Living at Home Block Nurse program, also housed in the building, helps sponsor a variety of health and wellness classes, while the Eastside Neighborhood Services provides academic services for students during and outside of the school day — just two examples of such partnerships. Numerous other groups are pitching in, she said. “It’s about who you connect with to make it happen.”

Sometimes it’s as simple as sharing storage space or mailboxes, as in a partnership with the Prospect Park/East River Road Improvement Association (PPERRIA), or hosting events in a local park or church. Community education offices have relocated to two different spaces in the building, she said.

The goal is to continue to serve at least as many people as it has in the past — about 1,500 adults, Clark said. This year, classes touch on everything from fitness to car maintenance to green living, and one-time seminars center on a variety of topics.

To register for classes, call Pratt Community School at 668-1100. Classes begin the first week of October.

Where did the Tuttle kids go?

While Pratt School took in the largest number of former Tuttle students, many transferred to other schools around the city. Minneapolis Public Schools spokesperson Ross Bennett said that accurate data on where the Tuttle students ended up won’t be available until October, but preliminary district information collected last spring showed the following breakdown of transferred students:

• 89 to Pratt
• 50 to Northeast Middle School
• 33 to Marcy Open School
• 11 to Anwatin Middle School
• Nine to Pillsbury Math/Science/ Technology
• Seven to Sheridan Global Arts and Communication
• Four to Seward Montessori School
• Two to Anne Sullivan Communication Center
• One student each to Ramsey International Fine Arts Center, Andersen School and Jefferson Community School

last revised: October 24, 2007

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