 There have been four separate buildings in which North has operated . The first housed just three grades when North opened in 1888 . Three years later the first class graduated in 1891 . The building grew to be too small for the school and a new building was built , opening in 1896 at a new location . On June 18 , 1913 a fire burned down most of the building , forcing a new building to be rebuilt . A new building was built over the destroyed one and was completed in 1914 . Later additions were added in 1921 , 1923 and 1939 . In 1963 it was determined that for the building was " to be retained as a secondary educational facility over a long period of time by the Minneapolis Public School system , it needs extensive rehabilitation and modernization to meet present day health , safety and educational adequacy . " . A new building was built on a new site and funded as part of a $ 18 million bond referendum in 1964 , that funded improvements to North and several other Minneapolis public schools . The building was finished and opened in 1973 . The building is described as " resembling a giant bunker with few windows , double doors that are often locked from outside during the day to keep out unwanted visitors and painted @-@ over graffiti on outside walls . " Another description calls it a " series of brick boxes arranged around a courtyard " that " doesn 't allow it to connect well with the community " . The building used to house adult education classes , a school for teenage mothers and a separate charter school , Dunwoody Academy . All of these programs have now relocated to other buildings . 
