Photo by Samantha Davis. Marshall superintendent Jeremy Williams (middle left, grey) and SWWC executive director Cliff Carmody (middle, blue) cut the ribbon to open the new Area Learning Center Monday night.

MARSHALL — The new Marshall Area Learning Center (ALC) held a ribbon cutting event Monday evening, to officially showcase the new space in partnership with Southwest Minnesota State University, in a science building that was not being used and is located on Stadium Drive.

Superintendent Jeremy Williams, board members, ORB Management project executive Kim Barse and Southwest West Central Cooperative (SWWC) executive director Cliff Carmody were among those who did the cutting and had large parts in making the project possible, in addition to working with SMSU.

The building hosts the ALC, Educational Learning Center (ELC), SWWC and Adult Basic Education (ABE).

“The building has been renovated to provide a positive, safe environment for all students to learn,” Barse said. “There are a few shared spaces, such as the [recreational] space and cafeteria. The SWWC Education Learning Center space is the first floor, and this is for students in the region with severe learning and or behavioral issues who meet the criteria for a federal setting for special educators. The Marshall public schools will occupy the second floor for the Area Learning Center.”

SWWC and MPS will lease from SMSU, who also said they’re happy to partner with.

“A few years ago, we were asked to look at our campus utilization and because of that project, there were some questions about how this building would be used,” Nathan Polfliet, SMSU Associate Vice President for Advancement, said. “Luckily, (SMSU) President (Kumara) Jayasuriya looked for some new ways to use the building, and worked with executive director Carmody and superintendent Williams to develop this plan … The result really is a win-win for all parties involved. This is a great project for the students that will be using it in Marshall.”

The ALC was originally located in Belview. It also services students from local communities like Tracy, Granite Falls, Cottonwood, Minneota and Canby.

“One of the first conversations I had [when I became superintendent in 2020] was with Cliff. We talked about the future of the ALC and the ELC and how we could possibly make this work,” Williams said. “We both had a lot of needs, and we said we’ve got to come up with something. So, it took us a while to get to this point … This is a big milestone for the community.”

The ALC ensures students graduate from high school and leave feeling prepared for college, careers and outside life in an alternative setting that some may require rather than the traditional high school, due to different needs and life circumstances.

“I call this good government. We’ve had a lot of conversations to try to make this work, between the school district, the Co-Op, the university, and this is an example of what can be done when you work hard to put things together,” Carmody said. “I have a passion for all the programs we have, but I have a special place in my heart for the children that we serve here, both in the ALC and the ELC.”

The ELC works to provide support and meet the needs of special education students with various disabilities like Autism Spectrum Disorder, developmental cognitive disabilities, impairments and more.

“They [students] deserve everything that we can do,” Carmody said. “Everything that we have, and everything that will support them in their education K through 12.”

All programs will share the spaces of the gymnasium, cafeteria and nurses offices.

There are new classrooms, study and common areas, principal offices, conference rooms and a library. All rooms have new paint, new ceiling grids and new lights.The entrances also are secured and visitors will need to be buzzed in, as well as cameras placed outside and inside the premises.

The ALC was ready for the start of the school year, and students have already been filling the hallways of the new school.

“I am just so proud of the work that’s been done … This project was on a tight schedule. We started this project from a construction standpoint in January this year,” Carmody said. “We had to pivot a few times, but in the end, the Marshall Learning Center opened its doors on time.”