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Somerset superintendent outlines plan for district-run child care center with $675,000 startup estimate
Summary
Superintendent Shannon presented a year-long feasibility plan for a district-operated child care center serving infants through age 3, estimating a roughly $600,000 construction cost and total first-year Fund 80 impact near $675,000; administration noted parent interest and licensing capacity limits.
Superintendent Shannon told the board the district has studied a proposal to open a district-operated child care center on campus, serving infants (as young as six weeks) through age 3 and integrating existing before/after-school and JK wraparound services. She framed the proposal as a potential recruitment and retention tool for staff and families and as part of efforts to increase district revenue and stabilize enrollment.
Shannon said the plan is preliminary and informational. ‘‘We had 81 families that said yes I would be interested and 43 families that said maybe,’’ she told the board, citing results from a parent engagement survey that asked about on-site child care interest. She and staff emphasized licensing constraints set by the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families that determine maximum capacity by age group and require construction and code upgrades for childcare occupancy.
Administration provided a high-level cost picture: an estimated one-time construction and remodel cost of about $600,000 and an approximate year-one Fund 80 levy impact of $675,000 to cover start-up construction and equipment. Ongoing operational costs were presented as separate items (staffing, supplies, food service), and administration showed sample fee/revenue estimates to illustrate how the program could operate once established. Shannon cautioned all figures were estimates and that more detailed budgeting and design work would follow.
Leslie Thomas, listed in the presentation as the district staff member leading childcare planning, reviewed operational considerations: staffing ratios, age-appropriate furnishings and equipment (cribs, classroom materials), food-service logistics (kitchen vs. carted meals), and licensing timeline. The district team conducted site visits to other district-run centers and consulted with architects and contractors on code requirements and occupancy calculations.
Board members asked about space, staffing challenges and potential tax impacts. Shannon said the preferred funding source for construction would be Fund 80 and that the district would return with more granular cost, timeline and implementation details at a future meeting. The superintendent also highlighted non-financial benefits, including earlier access to nurses, counselors and interventions that could support school readiness and stronger retention for staff who struggle to secure childcare.
Next steps: administration will return with refined cost estimates and a proposed implementation timeline; the board did not take formal action on the proposal during the session.
