An early childcare solution for school employees and students, Trigg Tots has long been a safe, nurturing and warm environment for kids aged infant to pre-kindergarten needing a place to stay while their families work for, or attend, the school district.
Located on the end of the vocational school, Trigg County officials are now preparing to temporarily rehouse those children for the upcoming 2022-23 school year — following the award of a $10 million renovation grant from the Kentucky General Assembly.
Because of a construction zone, those children will need to be elsewhere next year until renovations are complete.
During a Tuesday school board workshop, Superintendent Bill Thorpe said administration, teachers and caretakers have been notified that the multi-purpose classroom — located in the middle of campus — will be the new location.
Thorpe said they’ll split the front into two rooms — one for toddlers and one for pre-schoolers — with a pre-school playground and appropriately-sized restrooms close by.
The tough consignment, Thorpe said, is that babies will not be admitted into Trigg Tots for 2022-23. Currently with seven in Trigg Tots, and an eighth on the way, Thorpe noted four babies will age up — leaving four still needing a care option, alongside anyone else whom might be with a child now, and part of the district next year.
Toddlers aged 12 months and one day to 2 years old will take up one classroom, while those aged 3-to-4 will take up another. Thorpe noted there is considerable room for the groups to operate, and in moving forward, some other logistics have to be solved.
Once the renovations are complete, Thorpe said it would be easy to move everyone back to a similar location and closer to that side of campus.
Open Monday through Friday from 7 AM until 4 PM, Trigg Tots can’t constantly be interrupted by construction issues and parents/students trying to complete a work/school day — which prompted this discussion.
The hope is for vocational school construction to begin this summer, and then completed 14 months after the start date.
Thorpe couldn’t confirm it, but he did note there could be a local outsourcing solution coming for those who couldn’t be placed in Trigg Tots — especially babies, who’ll be displaced during this short time.
