A lack of childcare is a growing problem across the state and county, and the Waseca area is no exception.
Waseca Public Schools Superintendent Eric Hudspith talked with the Waseca School Board at its May 2 meeting to discuss an opportunity that might help address the need. Southwest Metro is looking to relocate to a bigger space in Waseca, which will open up room in Waseca’s Central Building downtown.
Central Building
Southwest Metro is a school district that provides services with a focus on special education, career education, and alternative education pathways. Southwest Metro has several locations in Minnesota, including Waseca.
The district is currently providing services at Waseca’s Central Building, which is owned by the Waseca School District. Waseca bills Southwest Metro for operating in the building.
Southwest Metro has two programs that are running in the Waseca location. The passages program is a Setting IV program and an Emotional and Behavioral(EBD) program serving students in grades 7-12 while the transitions program serves people aged 18-21.
Southwest metro serves a few students that are within the Waseca school district as well as students from JWP, NRHEG, and TCU in their passages program.
The limitations of working in the Central Building for their students is leading Southwest Metro to look at other options to operate their programs in the Waseca area. The space in the building doesn’t provide the space the district needs since there are multiple other programs operating in the building.
North Ridge Plaza
The North Ridge Plaza in Waseca currently has open space for the district to rent. Hudspith discussed the possible relocation of Southwest Metro, with intentions of just keeping the board updated. They did not vote on anything regarding the matter.
“Before we move into a lease with another building, before we authorize any construction project or anything like that, we obviously come back and have a bigger discussion at a regular meeting,” Hudspith said at the May 2 work session meeting.
While Waseca Public Schools would not need to pay rent for the new space, it would still be billed by Southwest Metro for its services to the students that are still a part of the Waseca school district.
Southwest Metro Superintendent Darren Kermes looked over the space in North Ridge Plaza with Hudspith and other leaders in school districts who have students in the passages program.
The current space Southwest Metro is operating in the Central Building is 5,500 square feet, while the open space in North Ridge Plaza is 6,000 square feet and has more flexibility. While the Waseca School District has spent some of its dollars renovating at the Central Building to meet the needs of Southwest Metro, it's still not ideal.
If Waseca decides to carry the lease of the North Ridge Plaza space and continue to have Southwest Metro bill them for using the space, the district could add a $35,000 lease levy, which would be a “relatively small” impact to the Waseca taxpayers, according to Hudspith. If the School Board decides not to go that route, Hudspith stated that the board could direct him and Waseca Director of Business Services Matthew Moline to work the $35,000 into the budget.
Southwest Metro operating at North Ridge Plaza opens up an opportunity for the district to design a space to help their needs and maximize the space, something they are not able to do with their current location in the Central Building. Hudspith also added that most of Southwest Metro’s students are not part of the Waseca school system and are going to a school location that is not theirs.
“We couldn’t think of another example of a setting IV program that’s attached to a K-12 building, at least locally,” Hudspith said.
Childcare
If Southwest Metro decides to relocate, it opens up space in Waseca’s Central Building for childcare needs. More kids could be part of Waseca Community Education’s childcare programs.
The Waseca school district has some childcare programming ideas to start in the fall, if the new space is available, but Hudspith does not anticipate Southwest Metro to start relocating students that early. The district will probably transfer students to the new location midway through the 2024-25 school year.
Hudspith believes that there could be some exciting opportunities to provide services for the Waseca community. While the district must have its childcare open to the public, it plans to prioritize staff.
“Right now, I know we have at least two teachers in our district and probably countless others I am not aware of who are either on leave or not able to work, because they are having a hard time finding childcare,” said Hudspith.
The board thought the whole situation is a good idea, potentially benefiting teachers and the whole community.
Board member Grant Scheffert stated that, while there is a potential cost for taxpayers, he thinks the perks of opening up childcare options are worth it.
Board member Alyssa Bowers also thought the relocation could be a win-win.
“That’s good for them and good for the other programming here in [the Central Building], too, I think,” Bowers said about the possible relocation.
The board will talk about the situation at a future date, as Southwest Metro will decide if relocating within Waseca is in its best interest. No decision is expected on the matter until the fall.
Scheffert added that the relocation could address another problem locally.
“There’s been much talk in our community about how do we get more people to move in, how do we get families to move in,” Scheffert said. “If there’s a shortage of daycare, that is a consideration families are going to consider, and we can help solve that and do our part to get more people to come here I think.”
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