SE board

closes

high school

campus

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

SLEEPY EYE -- On a 5-1 vote, the Sleepy Eye Public School Board approved the closing of the school campus for 2000-2001 at a regular board meeting Thursday night.

The vote came after a motion made by Doug Domeier, was seconded by Michal Anderson-Lowther.

Board member Duane Wilhelmi cast the lone dissenting vote. He preferred a gradual phasing in of the closed campus, closing it to one class per year, starting with freshmen.

Sleepy Eye Superintendent Jay Haugen mused about closing the campus.

"It's been nice to have an open campus, but I think it's time to close it in order to improve our situation from last year. Anything short of closing it for all students only complicates things."

Several board members said they received calls from people supporting a closed campus. Nobody said they got any calls requesting the campus remain open.

In other action, by a 4-2 vote, the board approved a letter of intention to withdraw from the Cottonwood River Technical Center effective for 2001-2002.

Haugen said the letter was created only out of "fiscal responsibility" to leave the district's options open if funds got short.

"We don't have any intention of getting out of the technical center right now," said Haugen. "If we run short on funds, we may cut the number of students we send there."

The district intends on sending 69 students to CRTC this fall.

Haugen sounded uneasy when he spoke about school enrollment numbers for this fall.

"We've got some crazy, whacky numbers," he said. "We'll have to see what they really are when school starts, but right now, some people are leaving that I thought never would."

Other board items:

* Diana Olvedo-Munoz, Executive Director of the Multi-cultural Resource Center in Mankato, said her office will be working with Sleepy Eye junior and senior high school students one hour per week this fall. This program, "Making the Peace," will be financed by a grant.

* A resolution authorizing and awarding the sale of general obligation and anticipation of certificates of indebtedness not to exceed $421,573 was approved. The Series 2000A certificates carry an interest rate not to exceed 6.5 percent.

* The resignations of boys' assistant basketball coach Brian Polesky and vocal music teacher Sandra Stugelmeyer were approved.