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Children in Confinement: Seclusion in Schools

 Meets minimum statutory requirements

Out of compliance

While most seclusion rooms were in compliance, MDLC reviewed a significant number of rooms that did not meet state building requirements. Some contained objects a child could use to injure themselves such as a metal chair or a hard desk. Others were poorly lit, not ventilated, inadequately heated or appeared to have water damage or paint-chipped surfaces.

Rooms must be at least six feet by five feet.

A small room with beige cinder block walls and concrete floor. An adult stands in the center of the room with arms stretched out to the side to show scale. The room is only slightly wider than the adult's arm span.
Adult man approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall standing in middle of seclusion room that complies with Minnesota statute. Alliance Education Center – Rosemount, MN
Adult man approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall standing in a seclusion room, as viewed from the staff member’s observation window, with his arms partially extended to his sides and touching either wall of the seclusion room. The seclusion room’s size is compliant with Minnesota statute. Concord Education Center – Inver Grove Heights, MN
An adult sits on the floor with their back against the wall in a small room with white walls and gray flooring. The wall is only about 3 times the width of the adult's body.
Adult man approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall sitting on the floor of a seclusion room, as viewed from the staff member’s observation window. The seclusion room’s size is compliant with Minnesota statute. Concord Education Center – Inver Grove Heights, MN
An adult stands in the center of a room with blue padded walls and uncarpeted floors.
Adult woman approximately 5 feet 4 inches tall standing within seclusion room for scale. This is one of the largest seclusion rooms MDLC monitored. SWWC Education Learning Center – Montevideo, MN
An adult stands in a small room with beige walls and gray flooring.
Adult woman approximately 5 feet 3 inches tall standing within seclusion room for scale. Webster K-12 – North St. Paul, MN
Room with white cinder block walls and discolored concrete floor, viewed through open doorway.
Seclusion room that meets the physical requirements mandated by Minnesota law. Rochester Phoenix Academy – Rochester, MN

Rooms must be well lit, well ventilated, adequately heated, and clean.

A room with white cinder block walls and discolored concrete flooring.
Detail seclusion room floor which appears to be damp and/or stained. The pattern of damage is in a grid pattern, perhaps indicating a tile floor finish was removed at some point. Rochester Phoenix Academy – Rochester, MN.
Small room with white paneled walls and concrete floor viewed through a metal doorway.
Looking into a seclusion room with the door open, an unclean concrete floor with dust or dirt and what appears to be water damage along the lower six inches of the walls around the seclusion room. The long silver strip on the right side of the door is the magnetic (keyless) locking mechanism. Washington Elementary School – Rochester, MN
The corner of a room with scuffed wall panels and broken floor tiles.
Detail of seclusion room floor with damaged and unclean floor and walls, mold or water damage appearing in cracks between floor and walls. Cambridge Intermediate School – Cambridge, MN
Room with white paneling, grated light fixture, and ceiling vent.
Detail of seclusion room ceiling with grated light fixture and unsecured wall panels that have cracks and gaps between the panels. Additional screws and wood bracing runs along the top of the wall panels. Cambridge Intermediate School – Cambridge, MN
A corner joining two white plaster walls with approximately 15 small holes and indents.
Seclusion room walls with small holes/indents, indicating the walls and fixtures are not tamperproof or clean as required by Minnesota statute. Franklin Elementary School – Rochester, MN
Corner joining walls. The walls are uneven plaster showing indents and dimpling.
Seclusion room walls with small holes/indents, indicating the walls are not tamperproof. Franklin Elementary School – Rochester, MN

Registered seclusion room from child’s viewpoint, documenting damaged walls and floor. Cambridge Intermediate School – Cambridge, MN.

Rooms must have a window that allows staff to directly observe a child in seclusion.

A room with slate gray tiled walls and a metal door with a metal kick plate and small observation window.
Child’s view while standing inside the seclusion room, looking out to observation window/closed door where a staff member would observe them from outside the locked room. The long silver strip on the right side of the door is the magnetic (keyless) locking mechanism. The door also features a metal “kick plate” on the bottom and damage to the door with a stain. Brookside Academy – Isanti, MN
A brown metal door with a small square window. There are scratches and graffiti on the door and a dirty observation window.
Child’s view while inside a registered seclusion room, looking out to observation window/closed door where a staff member would watch them from outside the room. There are scratches on the child’s side of the door, graffiti, and a dirty observation window. River Trail Learning Center – Coon Rapids, MN
A wooden door with metal kick panel along the bottom and a large window in the upper half. An adult male looks at the camera from an observation window. His upper half of the body is visible to the viewer.
Child’s view while inside the seclusion room, looking out to observation window/closed door. An adult man approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall stands where a staff member would observe a child from outside the locked door. This was one of the larger observation windows in seclusion rooms MDLC monitored. Concord Education Center – Inver Grove Heights, MN
A room with tan cinder block walls and a wood door and damaged or stained concrete floor. There is a large window in the upper half of the door, but the view is almost entirely obscured by sheets of paper affixed to the glass.
Child’s view while inside the seclusion room, looking out to observation window/closed door. The observation window is covered with multiple papers, obstructing the ability for a staff member to observe the child in seclusion. Cedar School – Eagan, MN
A beige metal door with a door closer mechanism and a narrow observation window.
Child’s view while inside the seclusion room, looking out to observation window/closed door where a staff member would observe them from outside the locked room. The observation window – a narrow rectangle approximately 4 inches wide and 24 inches long – is a common design for seclusion rooms in Minnesota. The long silver strip on the left side of the door is the magnetic (keyless) locking mechanism. Alliance Education Center – Rosemount, MN
A room with blue padded wall panels and a gray metal door with a narrow window along the upper edge. An adult is visible through the window standing on the opposite side of the door.
Child’s view while inside the seclusion room, looking out to observation window/closed door where a staff member would observe them from outside the locked room. An adult man approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall stands where a staff member would observe. The observation window – a narrow rectangle approximately 6 inches wide and 24 inches long – is a common design for seclusion rooms in Minnesota. SWWC Education Learning Center – Montevideo, MN
Room with beige walls and a wood door with window in the center. An adult standing on the opposite side of the door, visible through the window.
Child’s view while standing inside the seclusion room, looking out to observation window/closed door where a staff member would observe them from outside the locked room. An adult man approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall stands where a staff member would observe. This was one of the larger observation windows in seclusion rooms MDLC monitored. Observation window. Alliance Education Center – Rosemount, MN
Metal door with large observation window. Green timer affixed to the top of the door reads 05:00.
Timer on the staff side of a registered seclusion room door. Seclusion is only legally permitted in an “emergency,” a situation where immediate intervention is needed to protect a child or other individual from physical injury. This is an individualized determination based on need, not determined by a timer. Hoover Elementary School – Rochester, MN

Rooms must have tamperproof fixtures, electrical switches located immediately outside the door, and secure ceilings.

A ceiling and cinder block walls. A grated smoke alarm, ceiling vent, and rectangular recessed lighting are on the ceiling.
Seclusion room ceiling with secure ceiling, tamperproof light, and smoke alarm with a grate around it on ceiling. River Trail Learning Center – Coon Rapids, MN
Ceiling diffuser vent, grated vent, and recessed lighting.
Seclusion room ceiling ventilation system, in compliance with Minnesotan statute. Bemidji High School – Bemidji, MN.

Rooms must have doors that open out and are unlocked, locked with keyless locks that have immediate release mechanisms, or locked with locks that have immediate release mechanisms connected with a fire and emergency system.

Doorway into room with blue padded walls. Metal strip along edge of doorway.
Magnetic door lock running along the right side of the seclusion door. SWWC ELC – Montevideo, MN
Open door with glowing red light on adjacent wall.
The long silver strip on the right side of the door is the magnetic (keyless) locking mechanism. The locking push-button mechanism is glowing red. School staff must hold the red button to keep the door locked while observing the child locked inside the room. Rochester Phoenix – Rochester, MN
A green metal door with a square window and a printed sign that says, "take a break, take a breath!" Next to the door is a round button glowing red.
Outside of a seclusion room door with a red button to lock the door shut. School staff must hold the red button to keep the door locked while observing the child locked inside the room. The sign on the door, visible to the staff locking the door and observing the child, reads “Take a break, take a breath!” Franklin Elementary School – Rochester, MN
Wood door with small square observation window. Green button on wall next to door.
Locking push-button mechanism outside of the seclusion room. Webster K-12 – North St. Paul, MN
Photograph showing a section of a white wall with three control switches: a rectangular light switch, a round key-operated switch, and a green push button. A gray door with a metal handle is partially visible on the right side, indicating an access or control point.
Door lock and light outside of seclusion room door. SWWC ELC – Cosmos, MN
Photograph of a closed, solid gray door with a small square window covered by a metal plate, set in a tiled hallway with light gray walls. A round metal fixture and a sign labeled "C112" are mounted on the wall next to the door, indicating a secured or restricted area.
Locking push button mechanism outside of seclusion room door. Brookside Academy – Isanti, MN
Photograph of an indoor corner showing a beige wall with two light switches and a thermostat. A wooden door is partially visible on the left, open.
Locking push button mechanism outside of seclusion room door. Isanti Intermediate School – Isanti, MN
Photograph of a closed beige door with a narrow vertical window and a metal handle, set in a cinder block wall. Adjacent wall features two metal switches.
Push-button lock mechanism outside of seclusion room door. Alliance Education Center – Rosemount, MN
Metal door with observation window towards the top. A blue sign on the adjacent wall reads 156B
Seclusion room door opening out, with magnetic locks alongside right side of door. SWWC Educational Learning Center – Cosmo, MN
Photograph of an empty, small, white-walled room with tiled floor and fluorescent ceiling light. A wooden strip mounted on the back wall and a partially visible door frame on the right side.
Seclusion room door opening out, with push-button mechanism on outside of door, and viewing into seclusion room with damaged walls and floor. Cambridge Intermediate School – Cambridge, MN

Rooms cannot contain objects that a child may use to injure the child or others.

Photograph of a small, sparsely furnished room with a blue mat and colorful blanket placed on the floor in one corner. A purple cushioned seat and a green water bottle are positioned near the mat, with plain beige walls and light-colored flooring.
Registered seclusion room with objects not in compliance with Minnesotan law which make use of the room impracticable or impossible. School staff stated that the objects inside that will be removed in emergencies when students are secluded inside the room. Dakota Ridge School – Apple Valley, MN

Seclusion room not in compliance with physical requirements under law. The window is covered by blinds that are broken and contain material that could be used in self-harm by child. Dakota Ridge School – Apple Valley.