Monroe Early Learning Center Will Open at Chalk Hill

Dawn Ryan was among the founders of Jockey Hollow Child Care, a popular program among teachers and some police officers, who say they enjoy the peace of mind of knowing their child is being well taken care of during the day, while they do their jobs for the town.

But the closing of Chalk Hill as a school will bring more students to Jockey Hollow Middle School, eating up space once used by the daycare. Ryan proposed leasing two classrooms at Chalk Hill from the town, and the Town Council voted in favor of a one-year contract during a special meeting Thursday night.

"I could cry," Ryan said. "It's definitely something that's obviously been successful for 11 years and I think it will be for 11 more with Glen Belush as the CPA."

After the Board of Education decided to shutdown the program at Jockey Hollow due to the lack of classroom space for students, Ryan, her veteran staff and the more than 20 families whose children are enrolled there worried about the fate of the center.

But then Ryan and Belush changed the name to Monroe Learning Center LLC and worked closely with First Selectman Steve Vavrek and Town Attorney Jack Fracassini, who negotiated the contract.

"It's a happy ending," Ryan said. "I'm happy. It's a positive thing for the town of Monroe."

Town Councilman Jeffrey Guttman wanted to make it clear to the public that the daycare center will not be subsidized by the town. While some have pointed out that the town pays for electricity and to heat the building, Guttman said, even if the building was left vacant, the town would still have to expend some funds to "mothball" it.

"This is not town funded. This is not town run," he said.

Councilwoman Michele Mount said it is no different than any other public/private partnership when a service is privatized. "I think this is an excellent one," she added of the service the Monroe Learning Center LLC would provide.

The school district originally started the daycare center at Jockey Hollow over a decade ago as an incentive to attract the best teaching candidates.

Town Council Vice Chairman Tony Unger, who moderated the meeting in chairman Enid Lipeles' absence, wanted assurance that the length of the lease would not prevent the Board of Education from using Chalk Hill as a school again next year, if that is what the district decides. But, Fracassini expressed his opinion that that would not be an issue.

Several council members wanted terms of use for the gym to be in writing, ensuring the town could use it whenever it needed to. Ryan and Belush both said they would comply with the town's wishes on use of the gym, adding they would mostly need it when their children could not go outside.

Guttman is pleased that teachers and police officers will still have the option to pay tuition for the daycare service.

"It's something for us to give back to the people who work for the town," he said. "It's not a freebie."

However, the vote in favor of the one-year lease was not unanimous. It passed 6-1 with Councilman Chris Catropa the sole dissenter.

"While I'm sympathetic to the plight of the children and the organization, I don't think it's the proper role of government to provide services only to town employees and not the public at large," Catropa said after the vote. "The taxpayers shouldn't have to shoulder the burden when only a few benefit."

He also believes it is unfair to competitors.

Catropa said, "You have something that's subsidized at some level — the electricity and below market rent, and now other daycare centers in Monroe have to compete with that."