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Teachers and parents urge board not to move the ALC into Southwest Middle School
Summary
Multiple Southwest Middle School teachers and district parents told the board the proposed move of the Area Learning Center (ALC) into Southwest would mix developmentally different populations and displace spaces used by social workers and special-education students. Speakers asked the board to reconsider and to prioritize leadership and student safety.
Several teachers and parents used the meeting's public-comment period to urge the Albert Lea board to reconsider a proposal to move the Area Learning Center (ALC) into Southwest Middle School.
Neil Chalmers, a teacher with three decades in the district, said the plan would combine older ALC students (up to age 21) with younger middle-schoolers and would place impossible demands on Southwest's principal, Tyler Johnson. "This proposal asks him to give 200% and he can't do that," Chalmers said, adding that past full-time ALC leadership reduced discipline problems and improved graduation outcomes.
Jill Nelson, a Southwest math teacher, said Southwest has dedicated spaces for self-regulation, counseling and special-education supports that would be disrupted by an ALC relocation. She warned that if about 12 families left the district over the change, the lost state funding could have paid for a dedicated ALC principal.
Other commenters echoed concerns about limited outreach and data clarity. Craig Rosselle, a parent, questioned the breadth of community engagement and said the final survey sample was 565 responses, including 280 parents, which he characterized as a low percentage of the district population and a poor basis for major reassignments. Casey Walters, who served on the facility task force, praised the task force's careful review but said community sentiment is emotional and change should be thoughtful.
Board members acknowledged the concerns and said they would weigh staff and parent input as administration develops any facility plan. No formal decision to relocate the ALC was made at the meeting; the task force recommendation later in the agenda addressed broader grade-band options and did not identify a building for closure or relocation.
The public-comment speakers requested clearer communications, transparent attendance-area maps and assurance that special-education and social-emotional supports would be preserved if any changes move forward.
