By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Early childhood education continues to be a growing concern for parents and educators in Central Kansas alike. Monday night, the USD 428 Board of Education took a big step towards addressing those concerns, unanimously agreeing on the purchase of the CUNA Mutual property located just off the 281 Bypass at 1809 24th Street in Great Bend.
"We're looking at that as an early childhood center," said USD 428 Superintendent Khris Thexton. "That's the start. There's plenty of space in there for more than that. We may consolidate some other buildings and move into that facility. We can take a few other buildings and put into that."
USD 428 plans to take possession of the property in December. The property was valuated at more than $4 million. CUNA Mutual agreed to donate $2.7 million of that price, selling the property to the district for the remaining $1.3 million.
"It's one of those, you can't really put a dollar figure on it of what it's actually worth, or what it would cost to build," Thexton said. "But for us, it gives us space to expand our early childhood programs at a fraction of the cost it would be to build brand new. That's a big help for us."
Surveying incoming students, the district discovered that 30 percent of students enter kindergarten without attending a high-quality preschool. Over the last half-decade, the district has explored ways to meet local needs for preschool programs for children 3-4 years of age.
CUNA Mutual Group Executive Vice President and Chief Enterprise Services Officer Cedric Ellis said in a press release, "At CUNA Mutual Group we are committed to supporting the communities in which we serve. Saying we’re committed doesn’t mean much without action. By offering this property at a greatly reduced cost to the Great Bend school district, we are leaning into our values and providing the community with a much-needed resource—the opportunity and space for early childhood education.”