Valley Early Learning Center Construction Halfway Done, Thanks In Part to Mild Winter

District leaders said they are aiming to open the new building for the start of the upcoming school year.

Director Candace Harris said crews have made strong progress on the facility, helped in part by the region’s mild winter, which allowed work to continue without major interruptions.

“A percentage would be hard to calculate, but it is more than half completed,” Harris said. “The building itself should be done by the end of June, then the parking lot by the end of August. Our plan is to start the new school year in the new building.”

The new early learning center will replace the district’s portable classrooms with a permanent facility designed specifically for early childhood education. Harris said the building will provide about 13,000 square feet of space, nearly double what she originally envisioned when the program began planning for expansion. A construction bond passed in February with 64.85% approval, allowing for the facility to be designed and built.

“I remember when we first started thinking if I could just get 7,000 square feet I could serve all the kids who were on our waitlist – this building is 13,000, and is the right size for our current needs,” Harris said.

The larger facility is expected to significantly expand the program’s capacity. Harris said the center will be able to serve about 140 children, a major step forward from the program’s beginnings more than a decade ago.

“I felt like I was dreaming big in the early days, and now here we are with a new school that will allow us to serve about 140 kids,” Harris said. “It’s a long way from the pilot preschool class I taught in 2010.”

She added, with a laugh, “All nine students I had for that first year.”

Students attending the Early Learning Center have been able to watch the construction take shape from nearby classrooms, something Harris said has sparked curiosity among the young learners.

“The kids love watching the progress and have great questions about the build,” she said. “It helps remind us that the inconveniences we are experiencing are worth it.”

Harris said construction began last fall after Valley voters approved a $3.9 million bond to help fund the new early learning facility. Community support for a construction bond passed in February with 64.85% approval, means that the temporary setup will soon be replaced by a permanent facility designed specifically for early education.

Once completed, the building will provide expanded classrooms, improved learning spaces, and additional facilities designed to support early childhood education programs.