By Miles Layton
SUNBURY — What appeared headed toward closure took a dramatic turn Monday night, as the Gates County Board of Education heard detailed steps that could keep New Beginnings Daycare operating by transferring the program to a private provider.
See our previous stories here and here.
Several board members expressed relief at the possibility of saving the daycare.
“This is the best news I’ve heard in a long time,” Board member Sallie Ryan said at the meeting held at T.S. Cooper Elementary School.
Board member Leslie Byrum added, “It has broken my heart to say that we were gonna have to terminate the daycare from the school system because my heart goes out to the students that the daycare serves and also the employees.”
Gates Schools’ Human Resources and Exceptional Children’s Program Director Chante Jordan outlined a pathway to sell the daycare program to an external entity, allowing services to continue without being operated directly by the school system. If everything goes as planned, the new daycare may open in early January.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Board member Terri Riddick said. “Thank you for putting the work in and reaching out. This is wonderful. This is exciting that we’ll be able to have the opportunity to have a daycare still there and in the county for our parents. That’s wonderful news, and thank you for putting in the extra effort. “I’m excited for the parents. I’m excited for us as a community because this is big.”
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While the school system will no longer directly operate the program, the board made clear its goal is continuity of childcare services for families — and, if finalized, the sale to a private operator could keep daycare doors open in Gates County into the new year. The plan centers on transferring ownership of the program — not the school building — to a private daycare operator, Totally Kids Learning Center.
Jordan stressed the transfer applies only to the program. “It’s not the building,” she said. “We are transferring ownership of the program, not the building.” … This bill of sale, it’s for the program, not the building. So the new or private entity has no ownership of the building.”
Jordan said that once the parties have exchanged signed letters regarding ownership of the daycare, the paperwork will be sent to state licensing officials. Jordan said once that’s done, the licensing consultant can come out and license that space for the new private owner.
According to Jordan, timing is tight but possible. “She said that if we could get these things done, ASAP, that she could likely have this done before the holidays,” Jordan said. She added that the required 30-day notice is being counted from Dec. 4, the date the potential operator contacted the state. That would mean the daycare would be poised to open perhaps the first week or so in January.
Jordan identified the proposed operator as LaShonda Harrison, who’s currently the owner of Totally Kids Learning Center near Gatesville.
Jordan confirmed the private operator could serve existing families. She said the transfer “would be an opportunity for the new owner to expand.”
“It has broken my heart to say that we were gonna have to terminate the daycare from the school system,” Byrum said.
Jordan said state officials shared that concern. “Their sentiment is the same,” she said. “They know what a loss this will be… and that’s why they’re willing to do all they can.”
Jordan also said current employees might be able to stay on. “If there were children from New Beginnings Daycare who wanted to enroll… she would be willing to entertain, um, interviewing our current staff,” Jordan said.
The private operator would have independent control over hours and scheduling. “They will run on their own calendar and time schedule,” Jordan said. “So if they open the building at six o’clock, closed at seven o’clock, it would have no impact… on where our school hours would be.”
After discussion, the board ultimately approved a motion authorizing Jordan to proceed.
Immediately following the discussion, the board read a resolution approving a formal reduction in force for daycare employees due to financial constraints.
Ryan acknowledged the emotional weight of reading it. “I don’t know that I could have read that… without crying had we not had something in hand that we know is going to be in place,” she said.
More about Monday’s Board of Education meeting will appear in a future story.