Education

Monticello Times

partner publisher · 3.3K followers
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Monticello Times

partner publisher · 3.3K followers

Monticello Times

partner publisher · 3.3K followers

Special education cooperative explores expansion in Monticello

MONTICELLO — A special education cooperative serving three area school districts is exploring an expansion at the Minnesota Workforce Center in Monticello to accommodate students with intensive needs and potentially bring more of its specialized programs under one roof. The Sherburne Northern Wright Special Education Cooperative, which serves Monticello, Big Lake and Becker, is conducting preliminary assessments of available space at the facility, where most of its programs for students requiring the highest levels of support are already housed. John Weekley, the cooperative’s director of special education, outlined the space challenges during an Oct. 19 presentation to the Monticello School Board. The cooperative hopes to relocate Foundations 1, an elementary program for students with significant emotional and behavioral needs, from Monticello Middle School to the Pathways Education Center at the Workforce Center facility. Foundations 2, which serves secondary students with similar needs, is already located there, along with several other specialized programs. Weekley said bringing the programs together could improve access to specialized instruction, behavioral support and shared staffing resources. “Having more options to support student needs is very important,” he told the board. “It allows us to be really fiscally responsible as well.” The cooperative is also examining whether