Building a strong future | Opinion

In November 2022, our community sent a resounding message by overwhelmingly approving  Proposition S, which included funding for a new early childhood center in the 63021 area. This strong support demonstrates how much our residents value early childhood education and recognize its critical role in lifelong success.  

After an extensive review, Parkway’s facilities team identified a site between Southwest Middle and Wren Hollow Elementary in Manchester as the most suitable location. Yet, as we shared these plans, community members raised significant concerns, particularly about the loss of green space and the impact of increased traffic. A Parkway traffic study confirmed that congestion would indeed be an issue – and costly to address.  

Throughout this process, we’ve continued to hear from parents and staff about the urgent need for better and consolidated early childhood spaces. Staff have highlighted the inefficiencies of driving between multiple locations to serve our students. The message from our community has been consistent: Parkway needs a long-term, sustainable solution that ensures high-quality early learning opportunities for all children.  

In response, the Board of Education asked our administration to explore alternative locations as we paused work on a new center. We hoped to find a site large enough in the south area to meet early childhood needs as concerns about the site continued to grow. Despite these efforts,  we have not found a clear, feasible alternative and we have too many concerns to build on the  Wren Avenue site.  

This does not mean we are giving up on our commitment to early childhood education. In the short term, we have formed a South Area Early Childhood Workgroup to identify immediate ways to support our early learners and families in the South Area. 

The Parkway Facilities 2050 initiative will guide our long-term planning, with early childhood as an immediate focus. This comprehensive effort will assess and address the needs of our aging buildings, including those dedicated to early childhood districtwide. We are committed to developing a sustainable plan that ensures our youngest learners have the environments they deserve.  

While the journey to a new early childhood center has proven more complex than anticipated, I  want to reassure our community that the funds they approved in 2022 will be directed toward early childhood education when a solution is identified.  

We understand that early childhood education is a priority for many families and remains a top priority for the board. We are listening and using your input to guide our decisions. With your continued engagement and trust, we will find a path forward that reflects our shared values and prepares Parkway’s youngest learners for future success.

Jeff Todd

Parkway School District 

Board of Education President