South Education Center
South Education Center is a school in the 7400 block of South Penn Avenue in Richfield, Minnesota. It is a special education and alternative school, part of Intermediate District 287. Several school districts send their students to the center. The population served is from pre-Kinder to 21 years of age. The school defines its upper-age limit as "Transition." As of 2022, there were 200 students. Built for 350 students, the $25.4 million building construction began in 2006, featuring lockdown capability: classrooms and areas can be electronically isolated. Prior to 2022, the school phased out  its use of metal detectors and those were replaced with school safety coaches. The school trained its staff in "trauma, crisis and de-escalation." In September 2021, the Superintendent said that the school "serves some of the highest-needs students in the state." In 2022, she added that the school's focus is to provide "destigmatized mental health support."