Minneapolis Public Schools Puts 3 Key Finance Leaders On Leave

By Melissa Whitler, Minnesota Reformer

January 8, 2026

Three senior leaders in the finance department of Minneapolis Public Schools have been placed on administrative leave, according to two people with knowledge of the personnel decisions, just as the district begins its annual budget process.

Administration of the state’s fourth largest school district placed the three leaders on leave Friday, according to the two people familiar with the moves. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

The officials placed on leave are Ibrahima Diop, senior finance officer; Tarior Chapinduka, executive director of finance; and Aaron Gilbert, controller.

When reached by phone, Gilbert would not confirm her employment with the district and would not provide further comment. Diop and Chapinduka did not respond to voice messages left seeking comment.

Donnie Belcher, executive director of communications, said the district could not comment on the personnel changes due to personnel privacy laws.

The school board is set to vote Tuesday night to designate certain financial authorizations to Senior Executive Officer Ryan Strack. These designations were previously held by Diop.

The removal of finance department leadership comes at a crucial time for the district. The district expects a $30 million gap between its revenue and expenses next school year, or roughly 4% of the annual budget. This deficit comes despite the district cutting more than $70 million in expenses during its last budget cycle, and voters approving a $20 million increase to the district’s operating capital levy in 2024.

The district failed to complete its annual financial audit by the state deadline of Dec. 31. The district’s auditor, Bergen KDV, told the board on Dec. 9 that the delay was because the district’s finance department had failed to provide the necessary information on time. The auditors expect to finish by the end of January.

The district has an ongoing structural budget deficit as costs — primarily wages and benefits — continue to grow faster than revenue. The structural deficit is exacerbated by the district’s physical footprint, designed to serve over 40,000 students while only 28,000 students are currently enrolled.

The district’s auditors have warned for years that the district lacks sufficient finance department staff to appropriately segregate its accounts payable and accounts receivable functions.

Superintendent Lisa Sayles-Adams made significant changes to the district’s leadership after she started in February 2023. Diop was one of the few district leaders that she left in place.*

Staff were told in December that Diop would end his tenure with the district at the end of January. Diop joined the district as its senior finance officer in 2015, under the leadership of former Superintendent Ed Graff. At the time, the district was in financial turmoil, with the board spending down district reserves rather than making budget cuts to erase a $27 million budget deficit.

During Diop’s tenure with the district, district enrollment dropped over 20%. The majority of district revenue is tied to enrollment, while state law limits the district’s property tax levies. This forces school districts to cut expenses to balance their budgets.

Chapinduka was first hired by the district by Diop; both had previously worked together for Omaha Public Schools in Nebraska. Chapinduka left the district to work at Hopkins Public Schools in 2019 before returning to Minneapolis in 2025.

*Correction: A previous version of this article misstated which superintendent hired Diop.

The Minnesota Reformer is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to keeping Minnesotans informed and unearthing stories other outlets can’t or won’t tell..