Park City School District cut the ribbon to two preschool facilities Monday afternoon, one an expansion of Jeremy Ranch Elementary School, and the other at McPolin Elementary School.
When it came time to introduce and open the McPolin center to kids and their families, a large crowd gathered around the center to watch district and community leaders express their excitement for the new part of the building and what it means for the community.
Either through repeating themselves or working with a translator, the speakers said each their piece in English and then Spanish.
“Today marks a truly special occasion,” Superintendent Jill Gildea said. “When I first arrived in the district, we faced a significant challenge. A 2015 bond measure had not been successful, and we knew that, moving forward, we must take the time to listen closely to our community to unite around a vision of enhanced educational facilities.”
She said that in planning for the district’s current expansion projects — which include new wings at Park City High School, Ecker Hill Middle School and additions to each elementary school for preschool and essential services — officials took the time to understand the community’s hopes, concerns and visions for the future.
“Together, we refined the plan for the bond, ensuring it aligned with what our community truly wanted and needed,” she said. “Today we celebrate the culmination of this effort, the passage of the 2021 bond, and the grand opening of the facilities that were prioritized by our community. This center is a testament to what we can achieve when we work together, when we truly listen to one another and when we stay committed to our shared goals.”
Ingrid Whitley, the president and CEO of the Park City Education Foundation that raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for the school district, also spoke. She touched on the importance of early education in a child’s development.
“It’s a testament to our school district and the broader community that we no longer view preschool as an innovative offering but an essential part of our youngest learners’ educational journeys,” she said. “It’s one of the highest value investments of public funds we can make as a community. For every dollar invested, researchers say that we see a $4 to $16 return based on tangible benefits to children over their lifetimes.”
She added that she hopes other communities across the state will use the district’s pre-K program as a model for what they can achieve.
After the speeches — and well after several of the preschoolers had reached the ends of their attention spans — families were invited to tour the new add-on, its classrooms and kitchen.
Victoria Kenyon, the mother of a 4-year-old girl, said she’s excited for the opportunity her child has to learn in the new facility.
She and her family have been members of the community for over three years.
“We’re definitely excited to be part of the inaugural class and have a dedicated space,” she said. “For me, one of my big anxieties going into public school is just safety, and so I think having a dedicated space for the younger children is a lot more reassuring.”
Before now, she said her daughter has worked one on one with a nanny, so introducing her to preschool will give her more opportunities to interact with others in her early education.
“Park City isn’t particularly a diverse town, but I think that this preschool and this part of the community has a lot more diversity,” she said. “Our daughter is fluent in Spanish, and so I think her being able to carry that forward in an environment that’s going to promote it rather than try to get everyone to fit into the English-speaking mold, I think that’s really valuable.”