It’s no secret to Decatur County residents that childcare is limited in the Parsons and Decaturville areas. The Decatur County Schools system Career and Technical Education department is looking to change that. Mr. Chris Villaflor and Dr. Lyndi King have been working on a way to combat this deficit and hopefully attract new employees at the same time by opening a school-operated childcare learning center. The school system was able to purchase the former Mary’s Delight building from Rosemary and Terry Livingston thanks to the Innovative Schools Model grant from Governor Lee that the system was awarded in early Fall.
The center will serve babies six weeks through three years old/Pre-K Eligible children. Student spaces will be reserved for school employees’ children and grandchildren first, and then any open spots will be available to the public. There will be a waiting list that will open in early March, and that will be publicized within the school system and then to the public as space allows. “This is an opportunity to provide a service at a low cost to our district employees and hopefully provide a missing piece to our community. We are so excited to offer this after three years of trying to make it happen. Riverside students will also have a chance to participate in Dual-Enrollment Education classes through UT Martin Parsons through our new Teaching as a Profession program,” stated Dr. Lyndi King on the future of the CTE program.
This is a project that has been in the works for three years and is finally going to happen. Director of Schools Chris Villaflor said, “This center is something I have wanted to start since coming to the board office. I was thrilled to learn that we could make this happen with the Governor’s grant. This can be a huge recruiting tool, one that most school systems in West Tennessee do not provide.” The center is set to open for the 2023-2024 school year. Center information, child waiting list, and job opportunities will be posted and shared in early March. Dr. King stated, “We are excited about this project but are only in the beginning stages of remodeling and planning. We will have all the information ready in early March, and the waiting list for district employees will also open.” The school system would like to thank Terry and Rosemary Livingston for believing in this project and helping to make good things happen for Decatur County.