001No circ uh we have a a forum need a motion to approve the agenda as presented. Tom makes a motion second by Dave. All those in favor? Perfect. Motion carries 2.1 presentation and public forum for little dogs before and after school daycare program and three-year-old game daycare. The floor is yours. Sure. [Music] I'm John Sar. I'm Don R. I'm Lindsay Mure. And Kayla Fizzle is also on the committee for she's primary tonight. So after the daycare things closed down two and a half years ago, the need in the community for child care has become a great need. And so we have been working on our committee to kind of help the community um create some programs for our kids, especially after the special task force meetings um where it was very clear by several members
002of the community that we need to develop some childcare opportunities. to increase the enrollment in the school um and also potentially help retain some of our staff. Um so to do this we thought we would like to bring a loyal little learners program to the school district that would be um like a two-part program. One being the little dogs and then one being little pups um where our students can learn and grow. Um so to start the little dogs program would we which we currently have but in keep of revamping it um to create a before and after school program for the kids currently in the school district. Um, so it would be a program that's open from 6:00 a.m. until school starts and then from school ending until 6:00 p.m. Um, it would also
003be available full days on Fridays for the 4K that doesn't have school on Fridays. And then um and then um if we were to do a little pups program um I can elaborate on that but um for little dogs. So the before and after school part Fridays early release days no school days um like such as teacher services days um and then a summer program as well for the older kids. Um, and then to occupy the classroom during the day when the kids go to school then is where we'd like to bring in the little pups program. Um, for our three-year-olds, um, it would be something that's new to Loyal but not new in nature. There's several surrounding towns around us that are the offer of the 3K program. And so we'd like to hopefully
004stay competitive um, to bring more kids to the school district offering a program for three year olds. It'd be a program that ran from 7:50 to 3:20 during school hours. Um, and then of course the three-year-olds could also come before or after if need be or parent convenience. It'd be Monday through Thursday, of course, offering the Friday's um full day care with the little dogs program. Um, it would be a paid by the parent program. Um, which we would have to work out some rates and get them working on this for several months. We have some ideas on what the parents would pay. The children would be able to enroll anytime throughout the school year. So, as soon as they turn three, it would be able to bring them in. Um the goal is to
005have one full-time director position and then that would be a benefited position and then two part-time non-benefited positions um in order to keep our teachers in the system for the students. We'd also like to bring in high school high schoolers like teacher assistant programs or they already coming out of the elementary um and whether it be a paid position before and after school as well would be determined based on how many kids that we had. Um it would we would be able to utilize the lunch program and be able to pay on the lunch account just like the other students do in their home. We would ask that each student would bring their own supplies. Um, and then as well as each family brings an allotted amount of snacks. Um, so the total cost for
006the program would be next to none. Essentially coming out the parents pocket. That's kind of the purchase of it. So like to open up to any questions. Is this pretty much the similar model you guys follow for little angels? I started when I was there [Music] for a year and a half and when I started I had when I started I had two brothers and it was me. I was my only staff member and I went I don't know how many weeks with just this one family but then when I left I had 55 kids enrolled and was staff members so just kind of got trust the process I guess there was so for the food service you said food service what about during the summer so during the summer I guess we would have
007to see um like I know Ricky Rockins and Spencer they have grants through. So like when my kids go there in the summer, um their breakfast and their lunch are provided for them. So that would be kind of a grand opportunity we could look into or the kids would have to bring bring a lunch. Um that would also work for like snow days. It would be um anytime like schools closed and we don't have someone in the cafeteria, it would be a bring your own lunch type of situation. Just to piggy back off that. Um so there is so June would be a qualification um because we have summer school talking about probably July and August that you either a grant or they have to possibly bring their own or something like that, right? Yeah,
008there must be something out there. Um I know the whole summer in Spencer is covered. what they have I don't know but um there is a thing I don't know where when do you anticipate having the rates for the the students figured out like the cost so we recently were just kind of working out some ideas we were thinking like a hourly rate um depending we didn't know if it'd be easier just to do a flat rate or if they're like full-time versus parttime time. Um, you know, the students don't necessarily have to come Monday through Thursday. They can just um a day a week or two day a week, however they want. The parents want to introduce them into the school district. Um, so our estimate for like little dogs, which would be the
009older program or the older kids program, which we kind of have now, um, would be three $3 an hour. Um, and then for the three-year-olds approximately 350 to $4 an hour. Um depending it would ultimately kind of depend on how many kids we have enrolled, what we're paying the teachers. Um we did work out scenarios um but we're kind of going in circles and we need approval before we carry on. So I think some other 3K programs is just a suggestion. Um instead of doing an hourly rate, they do a daily rate only because um only because um you know some parents might drop their kid off for two three hours and like maybe run errands. Well, that's not really like sustaining our program as far as 3K and it also isn't providing a lot
010of structure, you know what I mean? Like you almost would want a daily rate would be my suggestion just because then they're there hopefully for the whole day and you're getting that full amount of money. You know what I'm saying? We did um kind of think about the idea of doing more like a minimum per day. So sure, we only want to bring them for two hours a day. You have to pay at least a minimum of 10 or 15 or sure whatever it might be. Um we did think about that as well, but I didn't. And um are you guys I'm assuming obviously looking for approval before you finalize any sort of plan because it would be really hard to like move forward but um are you hoping that this is something that we
011can roll out already this fall? We're ready. Yep. We we have interest um like we obviously need to post the positions and interview but um we can't do that until we have approval. We also can't post flyers for the community students. But we're on our end of our state though. Okay. So, this is more of like administrative question like what area of the school like what classroom would they be in? So, we have one classroom that would suffice for this and that is a downstairs. Um, the old kindergarten room was a resource room this last year. Um, because it has a dual entrance exit. Um, so that would be the the one room that we look at. Bathrooms. And it has a bathroom. Yes. We could have parents pick up of the building. Um, we
012talked about potentially moving the barricades on the in the front back to the ramp so that parents could pull up the walker kit down the ramp to the back door versus teachers leaving the classroom to take them out. We can still utilize those apps for pick up them. So, is this going to be organization running a daycare or are these school district employees running these employees? Um they would I would believe be school district employees. It would be through the district. So in saying that uh when toured Elon which there is a sponsored by the district puts it on. Um Spencer the district puts it on. Uh Granton has a birth up to up through three years old. Three rooms. So they have three different rooms. Um, I believe they break even. Um, Spencer, uh,
013got a grant and and some things and built addition on for their infant to three-year-old. Um, they that they do not break even. They lose money on it. And talking to Mr. course he he said that was one thing that they really talked about and made sure the community knew that they were not they don't make any money and they would probably lose on it um with that. So this is not a money maker and I'm not I'm not saying that to defer or deter anyone's decision but it it will it especially at the beginning um because you have employees that we have to pay and and things like that. So that will depend a lot um and what we'll take it. We'd have to use we use fun 80 and then you would tax
014the community off of that um because it would be a community um project or use. So, uh, just understand that and our community needs to understand that, uh, our goal is to break even. All right? And at the beginning, it may not look like that. It may not break even for whatever, but at our task force meeting um, or meetings, that that was a a a big concern in our community and was addressed. uh that we were working on it and um I believe we need to start somewhere and get the ball rolling um however and whatever but we need to do something. So you just 3K that the youngest would get three years old, correct? To start with ideally not the idea would be to expand the program. Um if pay is like a
015hard no go. We did also hear the idea of faculty daycare to date staff. Um if that would be of benefit um for staff that have young children. Um we just wanted some type of way to occupy the classroom during the day versus um that's you don't need a you don't need a teacher when you need a teacher but you don't is there any rules how many kids you can have per teacher for all there is a ratio I think um like one teacher can have up to 10 so I think it would you know at the moment that look at a second teacher. Um, or that would we have like the two part-time teachers that would kind of overlap, you know, one full day. So, I think any program is going to it might
016go above the start. Um, I think the community trust the program where they take their kids out of where they are and bring them in. Um, I just kind of stay positive in the surrounding towns and offer things that the towns do as well. I I would suggest that you would um find out how many faculty members may consider it for for daycare. So maybe that give us some numbers as to how many might consider you know for day care. Maybe you have reached out to some not sure but I would suggest if you're going to be as we move forward probably be a good idea to find out initial survey. There was an initial survey that went out um by this like child care and there were like sevenish kids um just the teachers
017now I don't know they all utilize the childare program but there's about seven kids for just teacher and then one last question for Mr. Blender would we need to um put something in policy regarding this I is that we need to formalize it more so in policy and I guess can we you know because they're looking at answer can we try to put something together soon um or make a motion contingent upon us you know we don't have a policy for the next meeting or something that is something I can talk to andor Mr. Horse all right with that tomorrow so again like I'll talk to from the I would like to say that I think the community um this is definitely a way not to only bring children into the the community into the
018school district but I think that the opportunity um they can take the classes here at school or the teachers assistant the teacher class and then they can work. So, it also benefits our students um if they so choose to do that. So, that's a job opportunity. There's not a lot in boil where they can work. So, it's right here. They can go to school, take the classes, and they could be working in the programs. Um but either either program. Um and then just advertising for the staff that we're going to need is going to bring more community members, you know, forward as well. So, I just I I think that um that's a good opportunity to fill some space up. One thing Mr. like he talked about when he was here as an interim super
019was if you can get students in your building at an early stage. Um, for example, 3K, for example, the staff day take daycare. Um, those students do leave for the most part, majority of them stick in this building throughout because it is it's a convenience um for the community and for parents. Um if you look at that for 12 12 years I believe or 13 you're looking atund close to $140,000 for that one student that all the way through uh to graduate. So, I I know upfront it may cost us. Um, but I think that we have to look at the big picture and how how do we get more students into our building and just understand that it it probably will cost us some right off the bat. But you're still providing a service
020and we are I think we're pro providing a an important service as we heard from the task force of 50 people. So when I work oh I'm sorry um when I worked um when I started at the school district I worked in the title one program um with two other teachers. Um, statistics showed that, and this is what the teacher shared with me, that kids that come to a 3K program, they do academically better than just starting in a 4K or even kindergarten, too. So, it just gives them, you know, that jump start. I just have a quick question, clarify question. I think I know the answer. make sure that the community knows it as well. You had mentioned that you can start anytime you're three, right? So if if your child turns three in
021December, they can start in December. If your child turns three in April, they can start then, right? So it's not like that September 1st cut off, right? Correct. Okay. I just want to make sure that the community knows that as well because looking ahead, you might have a 2-year-old now, but you know, would be able to then start whenever they turn. So just want to make sure and I agree. I think that there's a huge need. Um I was part of this task force. It was talked about. It's been conversations for many years. Um especially since Little Engles had closed and I I agree that um it will keep children hopefully keep children in our district for a long time and that's kind of what we what we want. A lot of families are going
022elsewhere to different programs and different schools including my own. So I can see like my son after the program organization was closed out. We took care because that was our only option. And he got to know the teachers. He got to explore the school. He got to go to the gym and the playground. He knew the principal the school cop like he was comfortable there. And we're like he come there we pull him out to start 4K in a whole new school district. It was tempting. you know, we we brought them to but um so I fear that if the surrounding towns have these street programs that maybe other parents might think the same they're comfortable and nobody wants to make their child uncomfortable and pull into a whole new school district. Um so they
023get to know the principal and their classmates and all the things. Do we know agree with our prek program right now? not part of their school. I do believe they have um daycare some early childhood. There was a three-day program offered in Greenwood that my kids attended. It was a half day program just a couple days a week and we did provide all the snacks and everything to as well as pay tuition to go there. So, it's just not part of the school district. It's at St. Mary's. I don't make motion to approve 3K. I would say continue on continue. way in addition to the motion to contingency analysis before school. Yeah, we go after and also before and after daycare program. Got a motion on the floor. Second by Nikki. All those in favor.
024Motion passes. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Committee ladies, I would like to thank you very much um for all your work and now the work really begins. So um we'll be I'll get a hold of uh those and get that. So, all right. You're the hiring commission. Congratulations. So, we'll pull one at a time and we'll go from there. Thank you. Thank you. Any other matters that uh before the board? With uh no other with no other matters, I'll look for a Motion to return by Chris second by Matt. All those in favor I meeting and