Clintonville schools discuss adding day care center

CLINTONVILLE — The Clintonville School Board and district administrators are investigating the need for and feasibility of operating a community child care center.

After listening last week to a presentation by business manager Holly Burris, the board felt it was not ready to make a decision on the matter and put it on the agenda for its next board meeting Monday.

There is limited day care available in the community, Burris said. She listed some of the reasons why a center is needed — including declining enrollment, a declining workforce in the community and the need to attract families to the Clintonville area.

Dr. David Dyb, district superintendent, said 13 students left the district last year due to the lack of a licensed day care in the community. It was noted that once a student is enrolled outside the district in 4K, there is a slim chance they will come back.

“For each student in the district, it means $10,000 in revenue,” Burris said. “And if 10 of them go out of the district, it means $100,000 lost.”

A committee has looked at day care centers in school districts in Marion, Shiocton and Tigerton, Burris said. She recommended locating the day care center at the Dellwood Early Learning Center; a new facility or one not in a school district location would not be cost effective, Burris said.

Dyb said the district looked at other properties in Clintonville for a day care, and there are none available. Additionally, the Rexford-Longfellow Elementary School would need too much renovation for a center.

Matt McGreger, senior project manager with Hoffman Planning, Design and Construction, said that a lot of what is needed for a day care is already in place at Dellwood, which would help keep the cost low.

Burris recommended using five rooms to host a day care center that could accommodate 50 children; additional space would be needed for a director’s office and other services.

“The current (70) 4K students would need to move to Rexford-Longfellow to make the room needed to open a community day care,” Dyb said. “The CAP Services-1 classroom and Birth-3 home visitor program would remain in the space they currently lease from the district.”

Board Member Jim Schultz asked Burris why she had suggested a center for 50 kids.

“I thought it was a good number to accommodate for getting our feet on the ground without a lot of disruption,” said Burris.

“We were told that was a good place to start,” Dyb added. “There are different licensing requirements. It is big enough, but we would not be overwhelming ourselves.”

Dyb said hiring and keeping qualified staff members would likely be their biggest issue. Hiring a director and caregivers who would need training and licensing is difficult, Burris added. They would also need to acquire licensing, buy supplies and promote the day care center, and a director would need to be hired before the center would see any revenue coming in.

Burris thought that it would be at least eight or nine months from the time the board approves a day care center to the opening of its doors. The facility would need to meet the building codes and address playground, parking and traffic needs. She recommended a startup budget of $100,000.

“It could assist the community, but it would be nonprofit,” said Burris.

Clintonville resident Jessica Schroeder said she planned to open a day care outside the city in May, and she would have concerns about the district opening a day care.

Dyb said there is no other entity like it in Clintonville.

“This is a progressive idea to help the community grow,” he said. “It is good for industry, and the city wants to grow.”

“This (day care) would be nice for the community, and it is much needed,” said Mark Zachow, board member.