Gates County commissioners voted unanimously to provide $50,000 to Gates County Schools to keep New Beginnings Daycare Center open through Feb. 26 while staff and boards search for alternative operators and funding.

The decision followed public comments from parents and daycare leadership, a county manager review of a draft audit showing the childcare program finished the fiscal year on June 30, 2025 with a $94,000 deficit, and a school board announcement that it would not operate the daycare past Dec. 31, 2025. “We are a nonprofit program sustained solely by tuition,” said Carolyn Hurdle, co‑director of New Beginnings, during public comment. Parent Cassandra Rountree urged transparency so the community can rally around the center.

County manager Scott Sauer presented the draft numbers and budget comparisons. He told the joint meeting the district budget had budgeted $314,000 for salaries and fringe for the daycare for FY2526 while payments to employees for the year closed 06/30/2025 totaled $367,000; the current year operating costs were budgeted at $28,623 while the draft audit reported $40,012, and the childcare fund finished the year with a $94,000 deficit. Sauer also reported revenue to parents for the year ended 06/30/2025 of $306,006.61 and noted revenue projections for FY2526 were $307,000.

School board chair Sally Ryan said the board had “reconsidered” and originally decided it could not continue to operate New Beginnings beyond Dec. 31, 2025 and was willing to support a transfer of ownership; that announcement prompted commissioner and public appeals to provide short‑term funding and explore operator models. After a recess and further discussion, commissioners approved a resolution to fund $50,000 so the daycare could remain open through Feb. 26, with operating hours restored to accommodate working families (06:30 a.m.–6:00 p.m.) and with the center continuing to accept applicants during that period (motion text read at SEG 1362–SEG 1371; vote recorded SEG 1466–SEG 1469; formal acceptance and motion language at SEG 1502–SEG 1513).

The boards asked the school board attorney to research legal issues if a faith‑based organization or private operator were proposed to operate childcare in a public school building. Commissioners and board members also discussed alternatives including contracting staff, leasing the facility to a private operator, county operation for employees (where permitted), enrollment drives, and potential state stabilization grants in coming application windows.

Next steps: commissioners and two school board representatives will work together over the coming weeks to gather financial and legal information and report back at scheduled meetings (board education meeting Nov. 17; commissioners Nov. 19 were cited as upcoming dates) and the county will provide the $50,000 bridge funding to allow time for those steps. The school board will continue to pursue transfer or lease options and private operator interest while maintaining operations through the February deadline.

Action summary: the boards recorded motions to rescind the previously announced Dec. 31 closure and to accept county funding of $50,000 to sustain operations through Feb. 26; both measures were passed by voice/show‑of‑hands votes.