Minneapolis board sells empty elementary to charter operator

The Minneapolis school board has decided to sell a long vacant elementary school building to a charter school operator. The Minneapolis Star Tribune says that Hiawatha Academies is paying $1 million for the former Northrup Elementary School, which closed in 2005. Hiawatha intends to invest $4 million in the site and move its elementary school there in 2014. The charter operator's bid won out over a plan to redevelop the site for senior housing.