A Success Story at Special-Education Cooperative (MN)

June 2, 2010

Growth of a program that serves kids with autism has led the Minnesota River Valley Special Education Cooperative (MRVSEC) to turn office space into classrooms in Jordan.

MRVSEC will move five positions to the educational cooperative’s Shakopee Town Square Mall location in August.

What is cubicle space in Jordan will become a classroom. Near that space, enclosed offices will allow for more individualized work with students.

Executive Director Darren Kermes called it an ideal setting for such a program, which has grown from one student a couple years ago to 15 students this coming year.

And the Jordan location has lunch facilities and gym space, which isn’t a need for administrative staff.

“We want to have this be kids first,” Kermes said.

The MRVSEC board, which includes Jordan School Board Member Deb Pauly, made the decision to move the offices at its May 19 meeting.

Kermes said the issue came to a head earlier this year when a student who was waiting to get into MRVSEC couldn’t because the autism program was full.

“One of the students who was waiting for a placement here was having significant struggles in his home district,” he said. “It got to almost the crisis point this spring.”

But the idea to move offices isn’t new.

“There was a general understanding that as our districts grew and as our populations of students grew, we would more than likely need to find a new location for our offices,” Kermes said.

MRVSEC is composed of six member districts and has locations in Jordan, New Prague and Shakopee.

Five staff members will stay in the Jordan location and five will move to Shakopee.

Kermes said that the move shouldn’t cost much because of the help of summer students. And no major renovation is needed for the conversion.

He said the autism program should fit well in the space.

“The program is primarily for kids with autism. That population of kids, quite often what they need is a quiet space with reduced distractions,” Kermes said.

That can be found in space that holds cubicles. And the walled offices allow the lights to be dimmed and the shades pulled if need be.

“It’s kind of an ideal setting for the program,” Kermes said.