By Clark Stork

School division dismisses daycare in Gronlid

Nov 3, 2017 | 7:13 AM

After what seemed like a done deal, Gronlid is still without a day care.

The Northeast School Division (NESD) has rejected a proposal for a licensed daycare in the town just north of Melfort. The 20 space centre was intend for the now vacant Grades nine to 12 wing of the Gronlid School, as those grades have been discontinued.

Lindsay Cochran, the vice-chair of the Gronlid Little Giggles Daycare, said when the daycare committee met with the school board it was, on the whole, positive.

“We were feeling like we were in negotiations as far as a lease agreement and then a couple weeks later… stating that for various reasons… they would be unwilling to rent us the space,” Cochran said.

Cochran said a letter from the Director of Education for NESD didn’t explain why the board wouldn’t support the daycare, but “not being government funded” and the “cost of renovations” were listed as part of the NESD’s concerns.

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“Our daycare wouldn’t have cost the NESD anything. The really unfortunate thing is it would have created revenue for them,” Cochran said.

Cochran said Gronlid Little Giggles Daycare would help lower the school’s expenses by paying rent and sharing caretaker expenses. The daycare was also prepared to cover the cost of renovating the facility which Cochran said would increase viability of the school.

The Director of Education for the North East School Division, Don Rempel, told northeastNOW.COM concerns about the future of the school itself also factored into the board’s decision when it came to a lease agreement.

“There is an annual review of the possible school closure,” Rempbel said. “So, if there’s a capital investment made with the daycare, what would happen if the school is closed later?”

Gronlid Little Giggles Daycare is now looking for another space to operate from within the community.

Clark.stork@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @ClarkStork