Construction plans obtained by Alpha News show a Minnesota school district is planning to build a “prayer room” and foot-washing station at two high school buildings. Those blueprints have since gone viral on social media and kicked off a debate about religion in schools.
Earlier this month, Alpha News received blueprints for an ongoing renovation at Park Center High School and Osseo High School. Both of those schools are a part of Osseo Area Schools which is located in the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis.
In blueprints for Park Center, one room is clearly labeled “prayer room” while Osseo blueprints show plans for a “footwash.” Prayer rooms are commonly used by Muslims as they observe their daily prayers. Meanwhile, foot-washing is a prerequisite for Muslims before they pray.
When asked about those blueprints, a spokesperson for the school district said “there are two phy-ed locker rooms with lower sinks that could be used for footwashing at [Osseo]. These were included in update plans after hearing from user groups on student needs.”
The spokesperson also told Alpha News that “Park Center Senior High has a multipurpose space in their construction plans. The space could be used for prayer, or other student or staff multipurpose needs.”
Alpha News reported on the blueprints in a social media post that included images of the prayer room and foot-washing station. That post went viral as many expressed their outrage and noted the school district’s apparent deference to Islam over other faiths.
🚨NEW: Osseo Schools has confirmed to @AlphaNews that its remodel project at Park Center Senior High includes a prayer room and that foot-washing stations are being added to Osseo Senior High School.
The district, located in the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis, says the… pic.twitter.com/3IAwbMFNCl
— Liz Collin (@lizcollin) April 20, 2026
“Turns out, when the woke left says they want religion out of schools, they’re only talking about Christianity,” Rep. Tom Emmer said. “Maybe if Osseo worried about Somali gang violence as much as they worry about pandering to America-hating leftists, their schools and streets would be safer for their students. Just a thought.”
“Utterly absurd,” said Sen. Ted Cruz. “This has no place in any public school. Sharia law should NEVER be adopted in America.”
“This is WRONG,” Minnesota State Sen. Michael Holmstrom said. “I fear it is only the beginning.”
After the social media post went viral, the school district told parents who questioned the plans that the blueprints were “mislabeled in construction documents and should have been called a multipurpose space.”
Despite this, the tipster who alerted Alpha News to the blueprints said “This is undoubtedly for Muslim students only. I cannot understand how this can be happening in this era of no religion in schools.”
Liz Collin
Liz Collin is a multi-Emmy-Award-winning investigative reporter, news anchor, and producer who cares about Minnesota. She is the producer of The Fall of Minneapolis and Minnesota v We the People documentary films, and author of the Amazon best-selling book, They’re Lying: The Media, the Left, and The Death of George Floyd. Her work has prompted important state laws. Yet perhaps most of all, Liz has been giving a voice to the truth—and helping others tell their stories—for more than 20 years.
