THRALL — A proposed Thrall Independent School District daycare facility for teachers and staff may have gotten a push in the right direction after trustees trying to avoid debt heard new funding ideas.
Director of Programs Jolena Pokorny had what many considered uplifting news about the project during the school board meeting May 20.
Also, new trustee Jason Seaton was sworn into office following the May 2 election. He replaces Wesley Grisham, who stepped down from the dais after more than 20 years.
Meanwhile, after April’s school board meeting, Pokorny and business manager Blake Schneider went back to the drawing board to determine how they could open a daycare program without putting the district into debt.
“I really want to make this happen,” Pokorny said, “but I do not want a negative deficit for our budget as well.”
Pokorny presented the new plan to trustees, which included not hiring a staff member specifically for the daycare facility but utilizing staff already on the Thrall ISD payroll.
“That saved $35,000 to $40,000 there, including the salary and benefits,” Pokorny said.
In addition, a price increase for the program was proposed to the teachers and staff prepared to bring six 2-year-olds to the daycare in August.
“Nobody balked at the (higher price),” Pokorny said.
She added employees knew the cost remained an inexpensive option compared to other programs, adding they are “very invested” in the program moving forward.
Last month, after reviewing other school districts of similar size to Thrall that also had childcare programs, Schneider noted Thrall, like these other schools, could lose $40,000 to $50,000 annually on the program.
School board Vice President Rodrigo Reyes thanked Pokorny for listening to the trustees’ concerns last month and for presenting the new options.
“We weren’t willing to shoot down (the daycare). It’s a great idea. The concern was with the budget, of being in (a financial) hole,” Reyes said.
Another caveat to the program that Pokorny included in her presentation is daycare availability will be determined annually.
“We have to understand that we may not be able to continue (the daycare program) if we don’t have a number of kids to support it,” Pokorny said.
Seaton, who has attended Thrall school board meetings in recent months, was prepared to discuss the issues in Wednesday’s session.
“I feel like this is letting us dip our toes in the water without committing us (in the future),” Seaton said.
No set date has been determined for a vote on the daycare facility, but Thrall ISD plans to hold more than one board meeting in June.
The next meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. June 2 at 601 S. Bounds St.
Check thrallisd.org/page/ school-board for up-to-date information on the June meetings.
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I really want to make this (daycare) happen, but I do not want a negative deficit for our budget as well.”
— Jolena Pokorny
