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Groton council accepts $1.125 million in Smart Start grants for Mary Morrison Early Childhood Center
Summary
The Groton Town Council Committee of the Whole voted unanimously to accept $150,000 in capital funds and $975,000 in operational Smart Start grants to expand and operate the Mary Morrison Early Childhood Center, authorize Mayor Juliet Parker to sign grant documents, and phase in full‑day preschool serving about 180 children.
The Groton Town Council Committee of the Whole voted unanimously Tuesday to accept a package of state Smart Start grants totaling $1,125,000 for the Mary Morrison Early Childhood Center and authorized Mayor Juliet Parker to execute the paperwork.
Superintendent of Schools Susan Austin told the council the $150,000 capital award will cover remaining building repairs and improvements and that a separate $975,000 award will fund operational costs for the upcoming year. "We've all got new air conditioning units in them," Austin said, describing recent HVAC, roofing and window work the district completed. She added the school now has 11 classrooms, including an added ABA room, and that the additional funds will support phasing in three‑year‑old students.
The grants will expand the program from half‑day to full‑day service and increase capacity: Austin said the Mary Morrison program will serve about 180 students when fully phased in, and council members estimated current enrollment in the program has risen into the roughly 130 range. Austin said children with individualized education plans (IEPs) were among the first to be admitted and that remaining seats will be filled by peers to maintain class ratios at about 15–18 students.
Council discussion focused on signature authority, program duration and safety checks. The council amended a motion that initially authorized the town manager to sign grant documents, replacing that authorization with Mayor Juliet Parker after staff noted the grant paperwork requested the mayor's signature. The amended motion and the main motions to accept both grants passed on recorded votes of 8‑0.
Councilors also pressed staff about water testing and lead mitigation in older buildings. "We are really being very extra super careful with [testing]," Austin said, and described installing water bottle fillers and taking other precautions while staff assess any faucet or piping issues. A councilor urged the district to pursue longer‑term remediation funding if needed.
The superintendent and grants facilitator Shannon Wiggle credited state Smart Start funding — described in the meeting as part of a governor's early childhood endowment — with allowing Groton to offer free preschool for many families. Austin said the program currently requires no family fees; she told the council that if state funding ever ceased the district could consider fees but staff said there is no current local match or future town obligation attached to accepting the grants.
Next steps: the council approved referral of the grant acceptances to the Representative Town Meeting per rule 6.5.3, and staff said the items will continue through the town's formal adoption process.
