Times Newsroom Blog

First, the Life Skills Apartment program:

The program was threatened by last year's round of budget reductions as well, and proponents rallied to its defense. Although it was streamlined some on the staffing level, its supporters a year ago got what they wanted in the end: A program that is still based downtown, in the "real world" and not in a room at the high school.

With the district's administrative team in the process of coming up with a list of $500,000 in reductions for the 2011-12 school year, the handful of people who spoke during the "open forum" at today's board meeting said they showed up in response to "rumors" that the off-campus program is on the "chopping block" once again.

Supports continually spoke of the program's "uniqueness," mostly due to its location in a real apartment in downtown Crookston. Deb Huot said she's worked with as many as 20 school districts and has never seen a program as good as Crookston's, even in the Twin Cities area.

Chad Erdmann, a social worker with Polk County Social Services, said the special education/special needs students, who can participate in the program until they're 21 years old, learn how money works, how to budget and pay bills, and they gain work experience. "It's a wonderful program because they learn things that really aren't touched upon in any other program," Erdmann said. "But the key is that it's off campus. You're going to lose a lot if it moves to the high school."

Julie Perrine, who moved to Crookston four years ago, said her family chose Crookston over neighboring towns in large part because of the Life Skills Apartment program that her daughter is enrolled in. "Special education is dear to my heart, and it's a program that doesn't need to be touched," she said. "It's a program that is federally reimbursed, at 100 percent in a lot of cases."

Moving the program into a "home ec" room won't work, Perrine said. "You can't pretend with these kids; you can't pretend that the electric bill is due," she said. "You have to actually pay the electric bill. They have to see it and know what it means."

Perrine asked the board to make a decision soon, because her family needs to make a decision on her daughter's education plan. If the Life Skills Apartment moves, she said, their daughter likely won't be in the program any longer.

Lincoln School

Duane Stroot said he's purchased the Lincoln School property from Clayton Briggs with plans to renovate it into 12 apartments, with the kindergarten room and gymnasium to serve as a "youth center." The kindergarten room, he said, would have pool tables, pinball, foos ball and other games. Kids could also go into the gym.

Stroot said two people would be on staff to monitor youth at the facility, which would be open from 3 to 6 p.m. on weekdays and likely for more extended hours on weekends. He said he's working with D'Anne Johnson at Polk County Public Health/Chemical Free Polk County. "She's on board," Stroot said.

Saying he'd gladly pay the property taxes due on the property, Stroot asked the board to abate the property taxes for five years once the project is complete. He said he'd like to have the renovations finished by late summer. Board chair Nick Nicholas said the board doesn't have any experience abating taxes for that long, adding that two years has been the extent to date, as part of the city's housing incentive program. He said the matter would be researched and referred to a board committee for further discussion.

Stroot said he's made a similar request to the city and that he'd be talking to Polk County officials on Tuesday. He said the former school is valued at around $87,000 now, but estimates have the value jumping to around $700,00 when it's finished.

Asked about how the youth center would work, specifically, would youth pay a fee or get memberships, Stroot said he hadn't worked those details out yet.

"This is something the town needs, I think," he said.