Basic Profile

Opened In

1972

Grades

9 through 12

Environment

Urban

Type

District - Alternative

Autonomies

Program

Determine learning program

Set school-level policy

Determine professional development

Determine authorizer assessments

Determine state assessments

Personnel

Select colleagues

Evaluate colleagues

Transfer or terminate colleagues

Determine tenure policy

Select leaders

Administrative

Determine school budget

Set staff pattern

Determine compensation

Determine teacher workday

Set schedule

Teacher Authority Is...

De Facto

Loring Nicollet Alternative School (LNAS) is an Alternative Contract School that falls within the alternative program statute in Minnesota. This program is designed to provide alternative education programs for students for whom traditional schools have not worked. Project for Pride in Living has a contract to manage the school from Minneapolis Public Schools. The contract requires a licensed “program manager” rather than a principal or director. At LNAS this is their lead teacher. De facto autonomy is given to the teacher team by Project for Pride in Living.

About the Learning Program

Loring Nicollet Alternative School (LNAS) is a fully accredited high school for students who want something different from a large, traditional public high school. The most successful environment for students is one that is safe and one that validates their experiences. The foundation of this environment at LNAS consists of respect for individuality, a multicultural and gender-fair curriculum, an informal atmosphere, participatory democracy, open communication, trust, honesty, values clarification, personal growth, self-discipline, and the balance between group and individual responsibility and decision making.