Fergus Falls Superintendent Jeff Drake Offers Mediation in Children's Corner Lease Dispute

Superintendent Jeff Drake published a public statement on March 2, 2026 offering to enter mediation immediately in an ongoing dispute with Children’s Corner, the private early-childhood provider leasing space at the former Lincoln School. In the statement Drake wrote, "We reiterate our willingness to enter mediation immediately, provided there is a mutual commitment to the process."

The district framed the dispute around tenancy and lease compliance, saying it values "the long-standing service Children’s Corner has provided to our community’s families" and that "access to high-quality childcare is a cornerstone of a thriving Otter Tail County." The statement explicitly set the district’s preferred outcome: "Our preferred outcome is for Children’s Corner to continue their tenancy in one of the region's premier early childhood facilities while honoring the terms of the lease."

District materials surrounding the statement include a labeled section, "The Lease Agreement & Financial Stewardship," but the supplied public excerpt did not include the text beneath that header. The omission leaves key specifics unreported in the posted excerpt, including lease terms, any rent figures, or the precise nature of the facility dispute that prompted Drake’s March 2, 2026 statement.

Drake invited the community into the process, writing, "We welcome civil discourse and encourage residents to attend our scheduled Board meetings, where public comments are always heard and valued." The statement closes with the sign-off, "Warmest Regards, Jeff Drake Superintendent." The district's publicly displayed contact information lists the Fergus Falls Public Schools address at 601 Randolph Avenue, Fergus Falls, MN, and a phone number of 218-998-0544, with tech contact at tech@fergusotters.org.

A claim that "McKinley School could be evaluated for closure" appears in the story title provided to this reporter, but that phrase does not appear in the district excerpt of Drake’s statement supplied for this story; the potential evaluation of McKinley School remains unconfirmed in the posted text and would require district documentation or Board minutes to verify.

The public statement was reposted in local coverage that repeated the district’s opening language but indicated some content may be behind site functionality controls. For now, the district’s March 2, 2026 statement establishes mediation as the district’s immediate path forward, frames continued childcare tenancy as the preferred outcome, and directs residents to Board meetings and district contact points for further public input.