Ulen-Hitterdal Further Unveils Plans for Childcare Center at Public Meeting
Ulen, MN — The Ulen-Hitterdal School Board held a public information meeting on Monday night to discuss their proposed childcare center referendum with the community. A good turnout of mostly young families, many who had their young children with them, was present at the meeting to learn more about Ulen-Hitterdal’s plan to address a childcare shortage. The district is planning to ask voters for $1.715 million to construct a center-based childcare facility where the tennis court currently stand and lease the facility, and all its operations, to a childcare provider. The facility would be able to handle roughly 40 children of various ages.
Jennie Bjerke of the Ulen-Hitterdal School Board Childcare Committee says they’ve done a lot of research over the past couple of years, and they feel this is the best answer for solving their need for childcare.
Laura Tweten also serves on the Childcare Committee. She stated that as a mother herself, she knows the struggles of having to find childcare and this childcare center would not only help those who are currently living in the community but be an incentive towards drawing new families to the district as well.
The Childcare Care Task Force and Interim Superintendent Todd Cameron took comments and questions from the public mostly related to whether or not the childcare center would be successful and concerns about the cost. Cameron’s main selling point was that if approved, residents would still notice a reduction in their taxes because the district just paid off their 2002 elementary addition.
It became clear at the meeting that childcare is something that families in the district strive for when it was announced that the school had committed to offering a school-aged childcare program this summer and those in attendance gave a big round of applause, according to Tweten.
The Ulen-Hitterdal School Board plans to bring the Childcare Center Referendum up for vote during the primary election on August 9th.
Another public forum is planned for tonight at 7pm in the Science Room down the hall from the auditorium.
