Viroqua Area Schools Early Learning Center to open March 27

The center is set to open March 27 and at the start, will serve 40 children. The center’s license is now at 90, with the potential to expand to 110 children, said Sharon Engh, the center’s director. The center, which is open to all families, not just those living in the school district, will serve children age 6 weeks to 11 years old and be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

“(The hours) may change, based on need and availability for staff,” Engh said. District Administrator Tom Burkhalter said more slots will open as more staff is hired.

Engh said as of now, there are 13 staff – five full-time and eight part-time.

There are seven classrooms; five are currently usable. The center also includes a multipurpose room, toy resource room/storage, conference room, reception room, assistant director’s room, laundry room, kitchen, staff workroom, mother’s room for nursing mothers, staff breakroom, breakout room for children to receive services such as occupational and physical therapy, and an office for the director.

Each classroom has a different paint color around the door and flooring leading into the room. Engh said it’s subtle and will help children make the transition from room to room.

Engh said a playground is in the works and a committee will be formed. The playground, which is located on the property’s south side, has been fenced.

Burkhalter said the school district is not out to make money by operating the early learning center.

“Our goal is to operate at a gain zero loss,” Burkhalter said. “We want to break even. Our goal is not to get money back.”

Feedback regarding the center has been positive. Engh said people have commented to her that it is a much-needed addition to the community and they can’t wait to see the center. “A parent told me the rates are fair for the area.”

Burkhalter said the feedback he’s had is similar to what Engh has received. “The sentiment has been it’s about time. It’s been well-received.”

For more information and to be put on the list for child care, contact Engh at 608-637-1112 or sengh@viroquablackhawk.org

History

Burkhalter said when he was interviewed for his position in 2020, the school board made it clear there was a need to find a child care solution “because it is such a dire situation.”

The school district was authorized to purchase the former Vernon Memorial Healthcare Fairhaven Assisted Living property at the district’s annual meeting in September of 2021. VMH announced Fairhaven’s closure in September of 2020.

Burkhalter said it was a huge process that started months earlier, with him reaching out to the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families to see if they could walk through the 11,000-square foot building with him to determine if the building and its surrounding property would have the capacity to accommodate an early learning center.

DCF and Burkhalter co-presented the idea of an early learning center on the property to the school board, highlighting that Vernon County is a child care desert. He said they also shared data at the state, Vernon County and school district level “about the child care crisis.”

DCF opened applications on Feb. 28, 2022 for Project Growth, a $20 million grant program designed to help solve the challenges facing Wisconsin’s child care system and bolster the state’s economy. In April 2022, the school district was announced as the winner of a $75,000 Dream Up! Child Care Supply-building grant, which focuses on building child care supply through a collaborative community approach. The grant was part of Project Growth. Engh was hired as the center’s director and started her job in March of 2022.

Construction began in mid-November 2022. “Miron (Construction) and HSR (Associates, Inc.) have been unbelievable,” Burkhalter said. “The communication has been amazing and they’ve done amazing work.”

Cost

Burkhalter said the purchase price of the former Fairhaven property was $400,000.

“VMH did a deal for us,” he said. “They could’ve taken more from private individuals. We made a purchase I’m proud of.”

Burkhalter said the all-in price for the project is under $2 million, which also includes site work. Funding came from short-term lending through local financial institutions, ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) Funds, and a mix of grants and fund balance.

He said the early learning center project is outside of the referendum project that was approved by voters in November of 2022.

The district administrator said the siding will have to be replaced, which was unanticipated. The cost will come out of the contingency fund. The project will still be on time and under budget, he said.

Burkhalter said in the original plan, the south wall was to be a donor wall with the siding there being used to make small repairs elsewhere. He said that with 22 years of fading and vinyl siding having an end of life of 30 years, the decision was made to replace the siding now.

“It’s more cost-effective,” he said. “We had to adjust the plan and had the budget to do so. It was convenient.”