Rockland School Committee Approves $100,000 Request for Daycare Engineering Services
Daycare relocation plan moves forward with potential modular classroom at Eston School
ROCKLAND, MA - August 19 - The Rockland School Committee voted Monday night to request $100,000 from the town for engineering services to potentially place a modular classroom at Esten School for the Rockland Daycare program. This move aims to address the relocation of the daycare from its current location at the McKinley building.
The daycare, which serves 80 families and employs 16 individuals, is managed by the school department outside the general fund as a revolving account. No taxpayer funds are used for the daycare's direct costs.
"The request before you tonight is a request for the school committee to request from the town $100,000 for engineering services for the potential placement of a module classroom at the Esten School," said Jane Hackett, a school official presenting the proposal.
The preliminary estimate for a six-classroom, one-office structure ranges from $1.5 million to $2 million. However, this figure is very preliminary and just an estimate, according to Hackett.
Currently, 54 families using the daycare are Rockland residents, while 26 families work for the town but live out of town. There is a waitlist of over 100 families, highlighting the high demand for the service.
The daycare currently pays $45,000 in rent annually and is willing to contribute $50,000 annually towards the new structure. "We are willing to contribute to whatever mechanism the town chose to finance this, to contribute that equal amount towards that cost," Hackett explained.
Dr. Alan Cron, superintendent, emphasized the importance of the daycare service to the community. "It's a very important thing that Rockland should be proud of. It is a service that we are providing to 80 children, 55 Rockland employees, families, police, fire, school," he said.
The timeline for the project remains flexible. The daycare will remain at its current location through the end of the school year, with a possible extension if needed. "We are not going anywhere through the end of this school year, and the possibility exists that we may be able to go beyond that with McKinley," Dr. Cron stated.
The $100,000 request is for the second phase of engineering costs. The first phase, estimated at $7,500, will be funded through the daycare revolving account to determine if the structure can fit on the Esten Early Childhood Center property.
School Committee members expressed support for the project, recognizing its importance to the community. "We are committed to keeping this open. It is important to all of us," said Chair Jill Maroney.