What Is MTS Elementary School?

MTS Elementary is a tuition-free public charter school located at 2526 27th Avenue S, Minneapolis, MN 55406, in South Minneapolis. It serves students in kindergarten through 6th grade (K–6).

MTS Elementary is part of Minnesota Transitions Charter School (MTCS), the largest charter school district in Minnesota, with over 25 years of experience educating students in the Twin Cities. MTS Elementary sits just a few blocks from MTS Secondary (grades 7–12) — making it the natural starting point for a connected K–12 journey entirely within the MTCS family.

The school’s motto — explore. discover. excel. — describes how MTS Elementary approaches every day: with curiosity, creativity, and high expectations for every student.

MTS Elementary is tuition-free and open to all Minnesota students in kindergarten through 6th grade. Metro-wide transportation is provided.

Why Families Choose MTS Elementary

Small Classrooms — Every Student Known by Name

At MTS Elementary, small class sizes are a commitment, not a coincidence. Teachers have the time and space to work with every child individually — to know their strengths, catch challenges early, and adjust how they teach based on who is actually in the room. Every staff person in the building knows every student by name. As one MTS Elementary parent put it: “MTS Elementary feels like a family, not just a school.”

Arts Woven Into the School Year — Every Class, All Year Long

The arts are not an occasional extra at MTS Elementary — they are a thread woven through the entire school year. Through year-round artist residency programs, every class works with professional artists throughout the year. Visiting artists join the school and work with every single class for a week at a time, and sometimes up to a full month. Students build real skills, real relationships with working artists, and real confidence through creating.

Reading Under the Stars

Once a year, MTS Elementary transforms its gym into something magical for Reading Under the Stars — a school-wide reading event where the gym is set up with tents, fake campfires, and a dark night sky to simulate reading outside under the stars. Guest readers come in to read aloud to students, share stories, and bring the joy of books to life in a way that sticks. It is one of the most beloved events in the school year and a genuine expression of what MTS Elementary believes: that learning should be memorable.

A Welcoming, Diverse Community

MTS Elementary does not expect students to conform. The school sees every child for who they really are — their background, their culture, their interests — and builds from there. Belonging at MTS Elementary starts with the freedom to bring your whole self to school every day.

Strong Social and Special Education Supports

MTS Elementary is a small school by design — and that size is a real advantage when it comes to supporting the whole child. Social-emotional wellbeing is taken seriously here. Students have access to strong support systems, and because everyone knows everyone, challenges get noticed and addressed early. Special education services are robust and individualized, and the small environment means IEP supports can be woven naturally into everyday school life rather than feeling separate or stigmatized.

English Language Learner Program

MTS Elementary offers a dedicated English Language Learner (ELL) program for students developing academic English proficiency. Licensed EL teachers provide instruction through co-teaching, small group, and individual models — tailored to each student’s language level. The goal is academic language proficiency across listening, speaking, reading, and writing

Success Teams and Flexible Learning Support

For students who need additional academic support, MTS Elementary uses Success Teams and flexible learning groups to meet students exactly where they are. No student falls behind without support — the school’s small size makes early intervention possible in a way that larger schools simply cannot match.

A Direct K–12 Pathway — Just Blocks Away

MTS Elementary sits just a few blocks from MTS Secondary (grades 7–12) in South Minneapolis — and both schools are part of the same charter district, Minnesota Transitions Charter School. That means families who start at MTS Elementary can continue to MTS Secondary without switching districts, repeating enrollment processes, or leaving a community that already knows their child. The transition is seamless, the values are the same, and the relationships families build at MTS Elementary carry forward. It is one of the only elementary-to-high-school pathways of its kind in South Minneapolis.

The Arts at MTS Elementary

The arts are central to how MTS Elementary educates its students — not as a reward or an add-on, but as a genuine mode of learning that runs through the entire school year.

Artist Residencies — All Year Long

MTS Elementary runs artist residency programs throughout the full school year. Professional artists work alongside students and teachers, bringing their craft directly into the classroom. These are not one-time visits — they are sustained, meaningful engagements that give students time to develop real skills and real relationships with working artists.

Visiting Artists — Every Classroom, Every Year

Throughout the school year, visiting artists work with every class — spending a week, and sometimes up to a full month, in sustained creative work with students. Every student at MTS Elementary, regardless of grade, has the experience of learning alongside a working professional artist. This is rare in any school, public or private.

Reading Under the Stars

Once a year, the gym at MTS Elementary is transformed into a starlit camping scene — tents, fake campfires, darkness, and the sound of stories being read aloud. Reading Under the Stars brings in guest readers who share books with students and make reading feel like an adventure. It is one of the school’s signature events, and one that students and families talk about long after it happens.

Frequently Asked Questions About MTS Elementary

Get Started at MTS Elementary

Explore how MTS Elementary can support your goals with tailored education, real-world experiences, and a community built for success. Request more information or schedule a tour today to learn how we help students achieve excellence in academics, leadership, and life.