OK HOUSE
1905 Minnesota Blvd.
St. Cloud, MN 56304
(320) 253-9839
Randy Arnold, School Program Supervisor
Program Description
The OK House is a non-secure detention facility licensed through the Minnesota
Department of Corrections. It has been in existence since 1975. The OK House
is actually comprised of two houses located on the Minnesota Correctional Facility
property at 1905 Minnesota Blvd., St. Cloud. One house for male residents has
11 beds, while the house for the female residents has 5 beds.
Children Served
The children who are placed at the OK House typically range in age from 11 to
17. The residents at the OK House are in some stage of a court process. They
may be going through a court process, awaiting the completion of a court process,
or awaiting a longer-term placement ordered by a court. The average length of
stay for residents at the OK House is seven days. Stays for some children can
be as brief as one or two days, while on rare occasions other children may spend
up to two or three months.
School Program
The school program for residents of the OK House is provided by a teacher employed
by the St. Cloud Area School District 742. Educational services for residents
of other districts must be approved by the resident district. Upon a child being
placed at the OK House, the teacher will contact the home school of that child,
typically on the same day or next day following placement. While at the OK House,
students receive instruction in basic skill areas. Instruction is typically
delivered in group sizes ranging from 1 to 4 students. Students usually receive
instruction for 2 ½ to 3 hours daily. Instructional materials at the students
current level of skill are often provided by the home school district. When
this is not possible, the teacher consults with the home school district to
determine what materials to be provided by District 742 would be approved by
the home district. Once a student leaves the OK House, an exit report is prepared
by the teacher which summarizes the work completed by the student and the hours
of credit earned.
Referral Process
Children placed at the OK House are referred through either law enforcement
or the county courts. For more school information, you may contact:
OK House School Program Supervisor
St. Cloud Area School District 742
1726 Seventh Avenue South
St. Cloud, MN 56301
(320) 650-1548