Plan proposed

Jay County officials have been looking into expanding access to child care.

A potential solution was offered Thursday.

Doug Inman, executive director of The Portland Foundation, presented a plan to Jay County Council and Jay County Commissioners to purchase the former Judge Haynes Elementary School building and renovate it into a new child care facility. Inman requested the county contribute $975,000 of its nearly $4 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds toward the project.

There are 1,026 children — infants through 5-year-olds — in Jay County who may need care, according to a June report from Early Learning Indiana’s Closing the Gap program. Approximately 273 children are currently in one of 20 programs across the county. That leaves about 753 children, or just over 73%, unserved, Inman explained.

“It’s a supply and demand issue,” Inman said. “There’s a lot more demand than there is supply right now in this community for child care.”

The former Judge Haynes Elementary School is a viable location for an early education and child care center, he added. Jay School Corporation has been looking for a buyer to purchase the former elementary school, which ceased operations at the end of the 2017-18 school year.

A feasibility study conducted on the building last month by architect and engineering firm Barton-Coe-Vilamaa determined renovations would cost roughly $1.2 million. That would include tearing down the west wing, where the roof has failed.

Muhlenkamp Building Corporation also provided an estimate for renovations and a sprinkler system, bringing the estimated renovation cost to just over $1.3 million. For the same business to construct a new 30,000 square foot facility, Inman said, the estimate came in at $7.5 million, or about $250 per square foot.

The Portland Foundation has sent a letter of interest to Jay Schools about purchasing the building and turning it into a child care center that would serve more than 200 children. Inman confirmed superintendent Jeremy Gulley has agreed to sell the building for $1.

The Portland Foundation would cover architectural and engineering costs as well as equipment and supplies, which Inman estimated could be as high as $500,000. That would leave Jay County and the City of Portland to pay for renovation costs.

Jay County is receiving nearly $4 million in federal funds allocated through the American Rescue Plan Act, and the City of Portland will be receiving about $1.3 million.

“As I would call it, it’s manna from heaven,” Inman said of ARPA funds. “It’s probably never going to happen again for many, many years.”

With this in mind, Inman proposed Jay County contribute $975,000 and Portland contribute $325,000 toward the child care facility renovations. (He plans to request the city’s contribution at Portland City Council’s meeting Dec. 6.)

“Our population just keeps going down, down, down, down, down every year, every census, but this would be a phenomenal way to stabilize it, maybe increase the (amount) of people coming back into our community, because there’s a place to take your children,” he added.

The space would be leased to an organization for operating a child care center. Inman noted three organizations have expressed interest in the project so far. He also stressed the importance of participation from local businesses and industries to contribute toward the facility on an annual basis.

“In order to make it sustainable and affordable, it’s going to require the community of Jay County to come together to make this happen,” he said.

The Portland Foundation has been discussing early childhood education and child care since 2017, when it partnered with Indiana Communities Institute at Ball State University for its Jay County 20/20 Vision initiative. In May, the foundation began work on the implementation phase of Lilly Endowment’s Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT) initiative. Discussion during those meetings, Inman said, kept circling back to child care. Council president Jeanne Houchins and commissioner Chad Aker have been attending those meetings.

“This is one of those moments in time for the foundation that, if not us, then who?” Inman said. “If we don’t step up as the community foundation, who’s going to do it? No one else has the capability or capacity financially to make this project possible right now.”

Council member Ted Champ noted this was the first detailed presentation shared with county officials for a request of American Rescue Plan Act funds.

(Commissioners agreed last month to contribute $84,647.30 in American Rescue Plan Act funds toward repairs to Dunkirk City Pool. Council has not yet voted on the decision.)

Houchins voiced hesitancy in approving the funding toward a child care facility right away, noting there is another group who is planning to request funding soon. County auditor Anna Culy noted she has had several groups ask if they would be eligible for the funding.

County officials agreed they would like to discuss more funding options before selecting a large-scale project, and they talked about having another joint meeting at the end of the month to review all potential projects. No formal plans have been made as of yet.

In other business, county council and commissioners heard from Jay County Development Corporation executive director Travis Richards, who reminded them the the Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program (HELP) will be deciding which applicants will move into the second round this month. (Second and third round winners will be announced in January.) If chosen, Jay County will be given an extra $1 million toward projects planned with American Rescue Plan Act monies. It will also receive guidance for how to spend its dollars.