Board hears Project Sprout childcare proposal, motion made to enter MOU pending attorney review
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Summary
A presenter described Project Sprout, a plan to repurpose a district-owned building for employer-prioritized childcare with CTE components; board moved to enter an MOU and allow attorneys/executive staff to finalize details but the transcript does not record a final vote.
The Washington County Board of Education on Jan. 8 heard a presentation on Project Sprout, a partnership proposed by the Washington County Economic Development Council and First Tennessee Development District to open a childcare facility in a repurposed school-owned building.
"Project Sprout maximizes existing public assets and reduces upfront capital costs," the presenter (referred to as Liz in the transcript) said, describing the plan to prioritize enrollments for school employees and industrial employers and to include a career-and-technical-education (CTE) pathway for students interested in early childhood careers.
The presenter said the WCEDC received two competitive economic development grants to help offset start-up costs and that additional funding will be pursued once a childcare provider is identified. The transcript describes the grants language as "quarter of 1,000,000 apiece" and does not provide a clear single-dollar total; staff said further grant applications would follow once a provider is confirmed.
On scope, the MOU under consideration would confirm that Washington County Schools will provide a physical location and will either select a provider or operate the program; it would not fix which building would be used, would not obligate the district to serve as the provider, and does not set the final slot ratio or cost per slot. The presenter said a final site selection, provider identification, licensing approvals and renovations would follow and that, "if all goes well, the facility will open by October 2028," according to the transcript.
Board members asked practical questions about the CTE pathway, capacity and priority rules for enrollment. The presenter said the TAP (teacher-education/teacher-of-profession) program could provide high-school students with direct experience in a childcare environment and that an aspirational capacity included in the grant application was about 100 children but that the number remains tentative pending fire marshal and facility reviews.
An unidentified board member moved that the board "enter into the MOU and let the attorneys and then let the executive team sign off on it" and a second was given. The transcript records the motion and second but does not include a recorded vote or outcome.
Next steps in the timeline presented to the board include finalizing MOUs with partner entities, selecting a location, beginning renovations, identifying a provider and pursuing additional grant opportunities to support operations and licensing.