What we know about Minnehaha Academy, blast

Minnehaha Academy is a private Christian school in south Minneapolis with about 825 students from preschool through 12th grade.

The school has two campuses. The south campus includes pre-school through 8th grade. The north campus houses the Upper School (grades 9-12) and is the one affected by the apparent natural gas explosion Wednesday.

The building near E. Lake Street in the 3100 block of West River Parkway collapsed mostly in the center portion where a chimney was damaged but still standing.

A search is underway beneath two floors of rubble in search of the second missing person

The academy's lower school is many blocks downriver and was unaffected by the blast.

The school was incorporated in 1905, and it welcomed its first class of high school students in 1913, according to the school's website.

The website says that in 1981, the land for the south campus was purchased and a chapel was erected. By 1982, the Lower School served students in Grades 1 through 5. Kindergarten was added in 1985 and preschool in 1995.

According to city of Minneapolis records, Eagan-based Master Mechanical Inc. was issued a permit on June 7 for "gas piping and hooking up meter" at the address.

Tuition and fees for the school range from about $12,000 for kindergarten to more than $21,000 for a senior in high school.

After the explosion, the school posted an alert to its Facebook page. It read: "There was a gas leak and explosion at the Upper School. Emergency responders are on the scene. This only affects the Upper School. If you need to pick up a person from the school, pick up on Edmond Blvd. We will keep you informed as we learn more."

After noon, the school posted again, saying: "The situation at the Upper School is being managed by Minneapolis emergency personnel. All of our Summer Program students and staff are accounted for and safe. Afternoon camps will continue as planned with the exception of woodworking and drivers ed. Parents may pick up children at the Lower Campus if they do choose, or pick up at the regular time."