Rum River East

Rum River South is one of three education programs run by the Rum River Special Education Cooperative for students with significant behavioral needs, operated through joint powers agreements with our member districts. Our building on 20th Avenue NE in Cambridge has its own classrooms, curricula, teachers, support staff and gym. Students come to us through a referral from their home school district and their IEP team rather than open enrollment. Case managers and support staff work to stabilize each student's behavior and build the academic, social and self-control skills needed to return to their home district. When a student makes enough progress, partial-day reintegration begins on criteria set by the IEP team. The cooperative's behavior analysts, school psychologists and speech-language, occupational and physical therapy staff serve its programs and member districts. Students follow the cooperative calendar and lunch menu and take part in the Minnesota MCA and MTAS assessments. A Virtual Calming Room gives students sensory tools for self-regulation.

Rum River Special Education Cooperative takes its name from the Rum River, which flows from Mille Lacs Lake through central Minnesota and links the communities we serve. From our office in Cambridge, we provide resources, personnel and leadership in special education to our member districts, and each district has a Rum River coordinator for student needs. Three of our four buildings house Education Programs: Rum River East, North and South. These programs serve students with significant behavioral needs in classrooms with their own curricula, teachers and support staff. Enrollment comes only through a referral from a member district and an IEP team process. Case managers work to stabilize behavior and build the skills students need to return to their home district, beginning with partial-day reintegration once IEP team criteria are met. Our itinerant staff also cover low-incidence areas, including blind and visually impaired, deafblind, and deaf and hard of hearing services.

10 Acre Wood Nature Preschool, located in Lakeville, Minnesota, is a nurturing and play-based educational environment designed for children aged 33 months through kindergarten. With a core mission centered on fostering a love for nature and environmental stewardship, the preschool offers both full-day and part-time enrollment options within a maximum group size of 12 students, ensuring an intimate learning atmosphere supported by a low student-to-teacher ratio of 6:1. The preschool's unique approach incorporates outdoor exploration across its expansive 10-acre property, which features woodlands, wetlands, and native prairie. This immersive setting allows children to engage in hands-on learning experiences that promote curiosity and discovery. The school's commitment to environmental education is reflected in its use of an environmentally-friendly converted pole barn as the main facility. What sets 10 Acre Wood apart is not only its dedicated focus on nature-based learning but also its emphasis on creating strong connections with families, fostering a community that supports each child's growth and development.