Zumbro Education District ready for students

(ABC 6 News) – Years of blood, sweat and tears is paying off in Kasson this school year.

After three failed attempts, the Zumbro Education District (ZED) is complete, staffed and ready for students. The school is aimed to help students who need extra help that they can’t get in a general education experience. Giving them a better chance for success after high school.

The schools executive director, Patrick Gordon, spoke during the ribbon cutting ceremony about how far ZED has come over the last 30 years.

“It was dead in the water a few times,” Gordan said. “But it’s all expanded now. we have more space and more innovation where we didn’t have that before.”

ZED is definitely bigger than previous building they’re operated out of. The new 61,031 square foot facility features a full size basketball gym, a sensory room, rock climbing wall and a full science lab.

The building cost $16.47 million dollars to build. Which means it was built under their original budget.

But psychologist Terry Wehrman says that none of this would of been possible if wasn’t from the dedicated staff at ZED

“What is impressive about a lot of our ZED program is the longevity of staff,” Wehrman said. “These staff are working with some of our neediest population; behaviorally, academically and emotionally,

“Those tend to be high burn out jobs, but we have staff here that have been here for 20 and 30 years which I think speaks to the quality of the programing and the support that we receive.”

ZED also works to help students post high school. Instituting a number of programs like their Future Choice Program, to make sure students will develop better job skills and independent living.

Students will begin class on Friday, September 9.