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Parents and staff urge board to save Union Grove daycare as district weighs closures
Summary
Parents, teachers and employees urged the Iredell-Statesville Board of Education to keep the Union Grove childcare center open and to seek solutions for other district-run childcare programs that district staff say face operating deficits.
Multiple parents, teachers and staff spoke during public comment at the March board meeting to urge Iredell-Statesville Schools to keep the Union Grove childcare center open and to seek alternatives for other district-run childcare programs facing operating deficits.
Why it matters: district-run childcare can affect teacher recruitment and retention, especially for staff with young children who rely on nearby, affordable care. Public commenters said closure would force some educators and staff to leave or take untenable commutes, reducing classroom stability.
What speakers said
- Kelly Owen Buckower, a 17-year veteran teacher in the district, said the Union Grove childcare center is "a godsend" for teachers with young children and described repeated year-to-year uncertainty about whether the center would open. "The not knowing and the worry is…
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