OFFICIAL AGREEMENT for establishment of Viking Vocational Center at Hanska was signed Monday night at Hanska by representatives of the three participating school districts. Left to right are Roger Schmiesing, vice chairman of St. James board; Gene Forstner, chairman of New Ulm board, and Tom Anderson, chairman of Madelia board.

HANSKA — It’s official now. New Ulm, Madelia and St. James school districts will cooperate in the operation of a secondary level vocational center at Hanska and it will be called Viking Vocational Center. Two members of each school board affixed signatures to the joint agreement here Monday night and the center hopes to begin operating in the fall of 1974.Meanwhile, though, a lot of groundwork – and building construction – remains.

A few name suggestions were passed out before unanimous agreement on the name of Viking Vocational Center. The name incorporates the Norwegian heritage of Hanska and also revives the nickname of “Vikings” carried by Hanska High School athletic teams until Hanska consolidated with the New Ulm district about seven years ago. All three school districts also have a goodly number of Scandinavians and the center’s name was a popular choice.

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IN ATTENDANCE were about 25 people, representing the three school boards and administrators.

By the next meeting Jan. 28 at Hanska, each school district will name one board member who will be its voting delegate on the board of governors. Each district will have one vote, so there will be three voting members.

Supt. T. R. Olson of New Ulm will be the non-voting administrator on the board of governors. He was selected because New Ulm is the largest school in the center and also because the center will be located in the New Ulm school district.

By prior agreement of the negotiating committee, Ed Fier will become director of the vocational center and Emery Krech will be assistant director.

Fier is vocational director for the New Ulm district while Krech has the same position at St. James. Plans are to have Krech run the adult education programs in all three districts. The center may be used for some adult programs.

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THE AGREEMENT calls for a 12-month withdrawal notice by any school district. It means a district could pull out of the center by giving a year’s notice.

State department requires three districts to cooperate in a vocational center in order to qualify for state vocational aids (40 per cent of costs). By 1975, all school districts have been told to join or start a vocational center. There are close to 50 such centers now in operation.

The Viking Center hopes to secure a building by other than a bond election. Two possibilities were suggested: one, a private contractor is willing to construct the building and lease it; two, approach the Hanska city fathers about industrial revenue bonds to construct a building. The latter proposal will be checked out shortly. New Ulm recently cooperated with RayGo firm for industrial revenue bonds. St. Peter’s vocational center was constructed via industrial revenue bonds and a meeting is planned with those people, said Olson.

Plans are to construct a building of 25,000 to 30,000 square feet adjacent to the Hanska Elementary School. The New Ulm school district owns five vacant acres there. A few more acres near an outlet road are desired and negotiations may start soon for purchase of that land.

EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT will have students register in January for courses in the 1974-75 term. This will indicate the courses most popular for the new vocational center. The number of courses offered will depend on signup, space available and costs.

Fier said eight courses have been proposed for the first year: automotive, building trades, health occupations, model office, food occupations, model store, recreation and utility vehicles, fashion and merchandising apparel. New Ulm has many of these courses now and St. James has several.

Based on 1972-73 enrollment figures for grades 7-12, New Ulm will pay 56 per cent, St. James 27 per cent and Madelia 17 per cent of center costs.

Estimated costs the first year for the center are $301,000. This figure should drop considerably the second year as the initial year costs include equipment, Fier said.

The 7-12 enrollment base for the center is 3,548, making it one of the largest centers in southern Minnesota. The center is geared for about 400 students. Classes will be two-hour blocks and each district will be busing its students to and from Hanska. St. James will have the longest haul, 20 miles, while New Ulm is 13 miles away.

New Ulm Daily Journal, Nov. 27, 1973