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Somerset superintendent seeks community input on proposal for district-run daycare
Summary
Superintendent Shannon and childcare lead Leslie Thomas presented a proposal to open a district-run daycare, arguing community need and a plan to use Fund 80 for startup costs; residents and some board members raised concerns about competition with private providers and the size of the upfront ask.
The Somerset School District superintendent presented a plan to open a district-run childcare center and asked the board to gather more community input before a potential October funding decision.
Superintendent Shannon, introducing Leslie Thomas and district finance lead Dave, said the proposal is intended to address a countywide shortage of childcare and to help retain and attract families. "We pulled together again just some comparison in terms of fund 80 utilization," Shannon said, noting the presentation included added slides with county-rate comparisons. "The goal would be eventually for it to be able to break even," she added, saying some districts took two to four years to do so.
Leslie Thomas, who led the comparison of local rates and operations, said the district's initial model assumes 10 full-time staff with benefits and that the proposal reflects a high-quality ("Cadillac") version that could be scaled. "These are the rates that are average, maximum, and minimum amounts for those age groups across Saint Croix County," she said, describing county-level data pulled from Child Care Partnership and current industry practice. Thomas said scaling staff or fee structures could reduce operating costs but would change continuity and service levels.
At the meeting a resident urged caution, saying a district-run, taxpayer-supported daycare could unfairly compete with local licensed providers. "So the superintendent wants to start taxpayer funded day care… government should not compete against tax paying businesses especially if they need taxpayer money to keep it afloat," the resident said during public comment.
Board members and staff discussed several practical aspects: whether the center would enroll nonresident children, how a district levy through Fund 80 would be structured, and which capital expenses (sprinklers, exterior doors to meet code) drive the bulk of the initial cost estimate. Finance staff said Fund 80 can carry fund balance and hold revenue generated by the childcare program, but funds in that account cannot be redirected to other district operations.
Board members asked for additional, targeted community outreach and clearer financial examples from districts that have opened similar programs. Shannon said staff will prepare more information for the board and suggested a districtwide flyer or targeted mailing to verify community willingness to fund a startup request if the board chooses to pursue it in October. "If the community is saying, yes, this is something we support, we could fill it… then we could move forward," Shannon said.
No formal action was taken; the board asked administration to collect comparative financial data from other districts, refine startup cost estimates, and plan community outreach so the board could revisit the proposal at a future meeting.
What happens next: Administration will gather additional cost and operational examples from districts that run childcare programs, prepare community-facing materials (email, district newsletter or mailer), and present the refined information to the board prior to any funding decision.
