ST. PAUL -- The Yellow Medicine East School Board were within the law when they decided to move the seventh- and eighth-grade programs from Clarkfield to Granite Falls, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday.
In November 2004, Yellow Medicine East School Board members approved a task force's recommendation to restructure the district.
The plan maintained a K-6 program in Clarkfield, but moved the seventh- and eighth-grade program from Clarkfield to Granite Falls for the 2005-06 school year. Granite Falls then became a K-12 campus, with Clarkfield offering K-6.
Students had attended a separate seventh- and eighth-grade Junior High in Clarkfield since the Granite Falls and Clarkfield districts joined.
Elementary grades K-6 had been offered at both sites, and the high school for grades 9-12 had been in Granite Falls.
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At the time of the decision, the restructuring was expected to save the district $300,000.
Citizens Concerned for Kids, an organization of parents upset with the district's plans, filed a lawsuit against the district alleging that the district hadn't followed the law.
A Minnesota law that requires a public hearing as to the "necessity and practicality of the closing" when a district closes a schoolbuilding.
However, the court ruled that because the district is not closing a schoolhouse, but rather making an administrative change, the hearing was not required.
Yellow Medicine County Superintendent Dwayne Strand said he was pleased with the decision.
"It certainly is good news for us," he said. "We have restructured and we are moving forward."
He said the court costs for the district have been a little more than $25,000.
He said some of the fees may be recouped through school bonds, but said the district will be paying the majority of those costs.
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Chad Husby, a member of Citizens Concerned for Kids had been combining on his farm Tuesday and hadn't read the decision.
He said he was disappointed to hear the court favored the district and said his group will be looking at appealing.
Citizens Concerned for Kids will have 30 days to file an appeal to the Supreme Court.
