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Lakeville board hears growth, space and staffing pressure in early childhood programs at CLEC
Summary
District leaders told the school board the Crystal Lake Education Center serves more than 1,000 early learners over a week, faces space constraints, and anticipates teacher-licensing and recruitment challenges tied to new state requirements.
Molly Dexter, the district’s director of early learning, told the Lakeville Area School Board on Sept. 9 that the Crystal Lake Education Center (CLEC) now functions as a year‑round hub for the district’s early childhood programs and is running at high capacity.
CLEC houses five early learning programs including early childhood family education (ECFE), early childhood special education (ECSE), Small Wonders Preschool, WonderZone childcare and birth‑to‑3 services. "CLEC is a vibrant, very busy place, and it's the place where learning begins for so many of our Lakeville students and graduates," Dexter said.
The update matters because district leaders said CLEC is constrained for space and staffing just as demand grows. Dexter said some programs began with smaller enrollment but expanded: the district screened 763 children last year and ECSE grew from 242 students at the start of the 2023–24 school year to 402 by year‑end; this year ECSE enrollment started at 279 and continues to rise. Dexter and ECSE staff described moving programs into motor rooms and repurposing office space to create classroom capacity.
Board members pushed for more data to support space decisions. Director Carly Anderson asked whether the district tracks long‑term academic outcomes for children who participate in ECFE or Small Wonders; Dexter said the district is beginning work to collect continuous progress monitoring and that longitudinal outcome data is "not specified" yet. Directors asked Dexter to pursue a census‑style count of local 0‑ to 4‑year‑olds so the district can measure unmet need and better justify additional space or staffing.
Dexter also flagged a policy change she said will affect staffing: new legislation she referenced will require public pre‑K teachers to hold a license by July 2028. She told the board that the requirement will intensify an existing shortage of early childhood teachers and complicate recruiting and retention efforts.
Board members and Dexter discussed possible responses: adding preschool classrooms at elementary schools, pursuing a south‑side site to expand capacity, continuing partnerships with community education, and outreach to high school child‑development programs to cultivate future staff. Dexter described a recent collaboration with Lakeville North and South child development classes that resulted in high school students applying for summer positions at CLEC.
The presentation also outlined program features and supports: ECFE offers sliding fees and English language learning for caregivers; Small Wonders holds a four‑star Parent Aware rating, offers 27 class sections and 62 scholarship slots; ECSE provides services from birth to kindergarten in homes, community settings and center‑based classrooms and is required to accept students with active IFSPs or IEPs. CLEC staff said busing is provided from in‑district childcare centers to CLEC for students receiving services.
Dexter invited board members to visit CLEC and said the building’s parking and circulation are often full during arrival and dismissal. "It's truly where learning begins for the Lakeville community," she said.
Board discussion produced no formal action. Directors asked district staff to return with census data and to continue planning options for additional space and staffing as enrollment and ECSE needs evolve.
