Gillett OKs 3K program, child care

The Gillett School Board approved a 3-year-old kindergarten program/wrap-around childcare for the 2023-24 school year during its April 20 meeting.

Gillett Interim Superintendent Wayne Johnson said that the child care committee in Gillett came to a consensus to recommend starting a 3-year old kindergarten program.

“It is more than just child care, there is a lot of pre-learning that goes on,” said Johnson. “The committee discussed wrap around childcare options.”

Johnson said that if the district were to start a 3-year-old kindergarten program, then it would be possible for parents to have the opportunity to drop kids off in the morning before they go to work and pick them up at night.

“They would then have that 3K program during the day — it is a learning program, not a babysitting program,” said Johnson.

He pointed to Bonduel, Suring and Oconto Falls as districts close to Gillett that are introducing similar programs.

“It is the new norm for schools to do this,” said Johnson.

According to Johnson, there would not be a cost for 3K, as the money for the program would come from the district’s budget. For the wrap-around child care, there would be a fee for parents, that Johnson did not specify.

“Let’s say we had a snow day and the parents still had to go to work, we would operate that where they could still drop the child off for the day and have that care,” said Johnson. “It would also go during the summer.”

Gillett Elementary School Principal Curt Angeli said that the location for the program is proposed to be on the east side of the second floor at the secondary school.

“We expect at some point to move over to the elementary school, hopefully with some additions on the building,” said Angeli.

Board member Jaime Heroux showed some concerns over not being provided a budget for the program.

“If you look at the school as a business, and as a new business you look at new products and you look to the future, you look at generating revenue that covers expenses,” said Johnson. “The reality is, if you don’t do this, we are going to lose kids. They are going to take them to Bonduel and they are going to get 3-year-old kindergarten that they don’t have to pay for. Those kids will get comfortable there and they are going to stay there.”

Johnson added that a child in a full-day program would generate $10,000 per year from the state of Wisconsin.

“If you look at 12 years that is $120,000 per child,” said Johnson. “Versus you would lose $120,000 if that child went to Bonduel or any number of districts that are doing this exact same thing.”

As far as the cost, Johnson said that the district would pay for a two-year college degree graduate to run 3K. For the wrap-around childcare with parents paying, Johnson said that this is one of the best revenue-generating parts of a care program.

“That should come close to, if not exceed the cost of the person or persons that are supervising those children in the care aspect,” said Johnson. “Looking at a budget, you are looking at an investment in the future that any business would.”

He added that in order for the school district to avoid going back to operational referendums, they need to think of ways to generate revenue, with this being an option.

“It is a business decision — it is an educational decision,” said Johnson.

Angeli told Heroux that there have been hours and hours of planning to put this proposal together and said that there are days of more work to do.

“I want to know if my board is backing this, before I set out on that amount of work,” said Angeli. “We are going to set some rates and everything will come before the child committee and everything will then come before the board.”

Heroux reiterated that he wanted to see a budget for this proposal. He showed concern whether the previous referendum money will go to child care. He also talked about cuts that came in the district.

“We cut a core teacher — you can talk with me and argue with me if we need a social studies teacher or not — but we had a teacher that could have been used in social studies or in another program,” said Heroux. “We haven’t addressed that yet, and we are talking about a daycare.”

He added that he agrees that Gillett needs to have students coming in the door but wants to keep opportunities open for them when in Gillett.

“The one thing that I think all of have lost sight of is that once they are in the door, they still can leave through open enrollment if there are not opportunities for them,” said Heroux.

Angeli added saying that the goal of this program is to be cost neutral.

“The goal of this program is the fees that you collect pays the bills that you have,” said Angeli. “If the numbers say we are making too much money, we lower the fees, and if it says we are not making enough money, we raise the fees — it’s cost neutral, that is the point.”

The board approved the 3K and wrap around child care at a 6-1 vote, with Heroux dissenting.

lreimer@newmedia-wi.com