State Appeals Court rules Indus School closure legal
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The Minnesota Court of Appeals this week ruled a northern Minnesota school board followed the law in its decision to close Indus School, located 30 miles west of International Falls along the Canadian border.
In its unanimous decision the Court of Appeals sided with a lower court’s determination that the South Koochiching-Rainy River School District followed all requirements when it voted to close Indus School in June of 2023.
Judge Matthew Johnson wrote in the Court of Appeals opinion that “the school board’s decision to close the Indus school is supported by substantial evidence,” which included declining enrollment, continued deficit spending and high maintenance costs at the school.
After the district announced its intent to close Indus last year, two grassroots organizations — Save Our School Indus and Indus Community Education Development — spearheaded community efforts to prevent the school from shuttering. They argued the district did not follow proper closure protocols nor did it present substantive evidence that warranted closing Indus.
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Following the appeal court’s decision one of ICED’s organizers, Vickie Hasbargen, posted on SOS Indus’ Facebook page that public education is a fundamental right guaranteed by the state’s constitution, adding that Indus students should be able to attend school locally just as other students in the state do. It is 80 miles between Indus and the district’s other school.
“Closing Indus School was neither practical or necessary,” Hasbargen wrote. “We respect the Court of Appeals, and we will carefully review their ruling to determine our next course of action.”
Two of those options could be starting a charter school or an appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court which would have to agree to hear the case.
Before closing, the school district was comprised of Indus and Northome schools with 270 students enrolled in K-12 for the 2023-23 school year. About a third were Indus students.
This year Northome had a graduating class of six. It is now responsible for the education needs of all K-12 students in a 1,500-square-mile radius.
The school district declined to comment about the court’s ruling but in an email to MPR News Superintendent Jeremy Tammi said for now the Indus building’s future is up in the air.
“I will know more on what will happen next with the building after I meet with the school board,” he wrote. “Ultimately the decision on how to proceed will be made by them. Our next meeting is August 14.”
