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 December 31. The district’s auditor, Bergen KDV, told the board on December 9, 2025, 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.