Schools want to keep CRTC open

Area school leaders react to SE withdrawal

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

SLEEPY EYE -- Area high schools still affiliated with the Cottonwood River Technical Center (CRTC) are meeting Friday morning with the hope that the school can keep its doors open next school year.

On Thursday the Sleepy Eye Public school board voted 6-1 at a budget work session to opt out of CRTC effective next school year.

The decision came during a 4 1/2 hour meeting, in an effort to reach $350,000 in budget cuts for the 2000-2001 school year.

Sleepy Eye Superintendent Jay Haugen said low student interest and projected savings of $70,000 led to the board's decision.

Just eight juniors and seniors were signed up for CRTC classes so far this year, according to Haugen.

The district will attempt to offer students some of the classes they were able to take at CRTC in Sleepy Eye this fall.

Haugen said it would be easiest to set up a construction trades class in Sleepy Eye since the school already has an industrial arts shop, although its teacher, Dean Ristau, will retire this spring.

Earlier this winter, the Sleepy Eye board said it would not replace Ristau as part of the budget cuts.

The possibility of offering classes in medical careers and graphics arts in Sleepy Eye will also be explored. Other classes offered at CRTC are automotive repair and aviation.

Sleepy Eye St. Mary's High School Principal Jerry Neubauer said the Sleepy Eye board's decision caught him by surprise.

"I didn't expect the vocational school to be not an option," Neubauer said. "I thought they might cut back a little bit on CRTC classes, but not leave it. I understand the board had to make cuts. Not everybody will be happy about them."

Neubauer said the center has been a good tool for St. Mary's since he began teaching there 20 years ago.

"I'm cautiously waiting to see how things work out," Neubauer said. "We sent 26 students there. We have 47 students tentatively scheduled to go there next year. It will be interesting to see how things work out."

Red Rock Central School Superintendent Dr. John Brennan said maintaining CRTC will be more difficult without Sleepy Eye public school students.

"We are disappointed about what they did, particularly the timing of it," Brennan said. "We are looking at options. It was disappointing that we didn't talk further with them before they dropped out. They have a right to do what they think is best for their district and its children. All schools in rural Minnesota have funding problems."

Brennan said 44 RRC students attend classes at CRTC this year which he said his school could not provide by itself.

Springfield School Superintendent Dr. Luther Heller said 56 Springfield students are attending CRTC classes this year.

"We were looking at cutting back on CRTC classes next year," Heller said. "We have done some work on limiting the number of students each school could send to the center. We talked about reducing our number of students to 30."

Heller is hopeful the center will remain open next year.

"We'll try to preserve it," Heller said. "That's what everybody wants to do."