Questionable Neighbors
Chris Woodard
KTTC TV
ROCHESTER, MN -- About the last place most of us would ever expect to find a school, is right next to a treatment center for sex offenders.
That's exactly where a group of kids in Rochester are hitting the books everyday and some parents are upset, saying they had no idea.
It was about two weeks ago when the first complaints came in from parents, some saying they had just found out in December that their kids were going to school right next store to this treatment facility.
They were upset because for almost three months, every day they dropped off their young kids between the ages of 3 and 12, they say without the school ever telling them what was right next store.
It is a location born out of need for the Rochester Art and Science Academy.
With no building left to call home and school just a few days away they came to the Rochester Olmsted Planning Department and asked for permission to set up shop at this North Rochester location.
Rochester Olmsted Planning director Phil Wheeler says, "They are both in the B-1 district which allows churches, schools and so on."
Parents say the school is for young kids ages three to 12, but also a part of that district and right next store is the Safety Center, a day treatment program for the disabled including sex offenders. It's a neighbor some parents say they had no idea was there even though the school's founders admit to us they were told shortly after the school opened.
Doug Lambert says, "We always feel the more information that is out there the better and I guess I would disagree with the contention that any Olmsted county personnel ever indicated that they should not share that information with parents."
Now some parents who have contacted us but don't want to be identified say they feel deceived and are considering pulling their children from the school. They say they don't think it's safe to have their kids attending class next to these offenders.
Lambert says, "The service the safety center provides really goes towards keeping the community safer, not endangering anybody in the community."
One of the school's founders tells us they have taken some precautions anyway, putting up a fence behind the building, adding a new security system and having a security guard on hand at all times. but for some parents, it's too little too late.
We made several attempts to get someone from the school to speak to us on camera in the last few days and after speaking on the phone they agreed today, only to not return any more phone calls.
People with the corrections department stressed that any sex offenders at the treatment facility would normally be out in the community anyway on supervised release and say they gave the school all of that information a few months ago when they first heard they were moving in.
Community Watch Comments:
Awareness keeps kids safe, not ignorance. Interesting, the school's mission statement is "Educating students through an academically rigorous curriculum with an
emphasis on global citizenship, physical agility and well being, in a
safe, caring, and nurturing environment."
