The Austin Public Schools Board paved the way for staff to negotiate buying the Corcoran Center and attached classrooms for the use of the Austin Albert Lea Area Special Education Cooperative on Monday.

Austin Public Schools Board joined with the Albert Lea School District to improve programming for students with more severe special needs.

“As you know we’ve joined with Albert Lea for a special education co-op and we’ve gotten to the point now where we’re purchasing the Corcoran Center from the Catholic church in Austin,” Superintendent David Krenz said during the meeting.

The district is initially buying the building, but the co-op of Albert Lea and Austin will pay the district back.

The Corcoran Center will be purchased by the co-op with Austin Public Schools acting as the financing agent. The building will also be renovated to meet the needs of students.

The Corcoran Center served as en event facility for several years as part of St. Edwards Church.

The board unanimously voted on Dec. 14, 2015, to partner with Albert Lea after a partnership with four other school districts fell through earlier that year. The plan is to form the new cooperative with Albert Lea Public Schools — the Austin Albert Lea Area Special Education Cooperative — to provide specialized services and programs for students in the Setting For Emotional Behavioral Disorder and Students with Unique Needs (SUN) programs.

The plan is to open the cooperative partway through the 2016-17 school year once renovations to the facility are complete.

With negotiations for the sale ongoing, school staff would not reveal the proposed purchase price.

APS Director of Special Services Sheryl Willrodt previously said about four Austin students would be recommended for the special programming, which will help lower-functioning students with aggressive behaviors, some who are non-verbal, and have other needs.

The new co-op will be in a separate building owned by the co-op, and thus equally co-owned by the Austin and Albert Lea schools. This would also help free up space in the Austin High School Annex building currently used for the programming.

Willrodt pointed out in larger districts, such as in the Twin Cities, there’s a specific school to cater to the needs of those students. Since Austin only has a handful of students, there is not a school set up for that — a problem many other Minnesota districts also face.