North Callaway R-I Assistant Superintendent Sandy Haskins has long dreamed of having a day care option to help attract more educators to the district.
With the creation of the Thunderbird Learning Center, the longtime administrator - Haskins has been with the district 24 years - finally will be able to say she has achieved that goal, just in time for her retirement which becomes official after today.
Set to open in August and follow the school's calendar, the Thunderbird Learning Center will bring North Callaway's early childhood special education, Parents as Teachers and preschool programs together in one central location. The new learning center will include a new all-day preschool for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years.
"This has been something the district wanted to do for probably 10 years, and now the time is right," Haskins said.
Thunderbird Learning Center will consist of three modular buildings:
•One housing early childhood special education and Parents as Teachers.
•One housing the half-day preschool that was already in existence at Auxvasse Elementary.
•The third for the new all-day preschool.
Haskins said the district already owns the first two modulars and will lease the third.