Probe of man's complaints about

SE school closed

Case involved daughter, Civil Rights Office

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

SLEEPY EYE -- A rural Sleepy Eye man said he is somewhat satisfied with the status of his federal complaints regarding his daughter's asthmatic condition while she attended Sleepy Eye Public School.

Last week, the U.S. Civil Rights Office in Chicago notified Keith Haas and Sleepy Eye Public School by letter that it had closed its investigation of his complaints about the school's implementation of the Section 504 plan, a disability qualification.

Haas' complaints center on his daughter Krystal who open enrolled at New Ulm High School last fall and graduated this spring.

Haas contends that a detailed explanation of 504 plan eligibility requirements was not in the Sleepy Eye's student handbook. He also said the school should follow up with a brief explanation of the plan to parents during parent-teacher conferences.

The school maintained that its current system satisfied issued brought up by Haas.

Sleepy Eye High School Principal Elia Bruggeman said the school did everything it was supposed to in Haas' case regarding the 504 plan.

Haas said the 504 plan applied to his daughter due to her asthmatic condition. That condition caused her to miss more than 80 days of school during the 1998-1999 school year, he said.

The issue surfaced after he learned that his daughter was on the verge of failing classes due to lack of attendance.

Haas said the school did not think his daughter's 80-plus absences should be excused due to her asthmatic condition.

Bruggeman said Krystal Haas was a good student when she was in school, but she got too far behind due to her absences.

Haas elected to open enroll his daughter at New Ulm High School last fall. He said the move cost him about $300 per quarter in transportation costs. Haas said he felt the Sleepy Eye school district should cover all reasonable expenses incurred by students as a result of commuting to non-home district.

In an April 23, 2000 complaint resolution letter to the federal office of civil rights, Haas said the Sleepy Eye school should use an independent hearing officer to conduct future grievance hearings on Section 504 issues, in accordance with page 15 of the school's draft of the 504 manual.

He said the U.S. Office of Civil Rights said it would not hold the school to that requirement unless there was a negotiated settlement of the complaint.

Since there was none, that will not happen, according to Haas.

"It's kind of a dead horse now, since the complaint is closed," said Haas. "My kids are out of secondary school now. If somebody else wants to take up the issue, that's their business. If so, they can call me. I've got plenty of information on it."

Haas said he felt somewhat gratified because the Sleepy Eye has updated its 504 manual and adopted more training on the issue.

His daughter enjoyed attending NUHS for her senior year, and she plans to attend Rochester Community and Technical College this fall, Haas said.