St. Michael-Albertville School Board, Daycare Provider to Discuss Just4Kids

Nancy Pelletier, owner of ABC Childcare, will once again challenge the St. Michael-Albertville School District's preschool and pre-kindergartn program, Just4Kids, when she approaches the St. Michael-Albertville School Board at tonight's final meeting of 2012. 

The meeting, set for 7 p.m. at St. Michael-Albertville Middle School West (use Door A), will be held in the board's meeting room. 

Pelletier told the Crow River News last week that she's concerned the Just4Kids program is driving away private business in the community, contributing to her drop in enrollment for 4 and 5-year-old children and probably shutting down Especially for Kids in the Albertville business sector. 

In that vein, she's reprisng her argument that school districts should not be in competition with private sector businesses when it comes to providing childcare. 

In his rebuttal, Dr. James Behle told the newspaper "most" surrounding school districts offer some sort of Pre-K programming, as do private schools such as St. Michael Catholic School  (which opened its preschool in the home of two former small businesses this year) and Salem Lutheran School in Hanover. 

A quick look at the area shows Monticello offers KC Preschool and Buffalo School District offers Little Kid Kare, both organized through community education offices in those districts. 

Behle told the newspaper he believes a drop in the number of 4 and 5-year-old kids, according districtwide census data, could be the culprit for the drop in local preschool enrollments. 

The board rejected Pelletier's request to end its program back in 2009. 

Be sure to follow St. Michael Patch on Twitter, "Like" us on Facebook, and sign up for our newsletter, which sends you updates about stories, breaking news, announcements, events and blogs on our site.