One of the jobs for interim superintendent Rich Carlson may be finding space for the Chilkat Valley Preschool at the Haines School.
Former Haines superintendent Ginger Jewell suggested the preschool could move into her office, located in a divided room built as a larger art room in 2007.
But that offer isn’t binding on other superintendents, school board chair Anne Marie Palmieri said recently.
“The school board and the preschool have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore the idea in concept. They haven’t figured out all the details, including the location (of the preschool in the school),” Palmieri said.
“That’s something the superintendent and the preschool would work through,” she said. The preschool faces a June 2016 date to move out of the borough-owned Human Resource Building located on First Avenue North.
In related news, preschool administrator Renee Hoffman said in a recent press release that the preschool would keep $62,166 donated by community members to help find a new home for the privately-operated school. The money will be kept in a separate Facility Fund account and not used for general operating expenses, Hoffman said.
“We are currently in negotiations to finalize the agreement with the school. At this time it is unknown if this arrangement will be a long-term solution for our facility needs,” Hoffman said.
“We understand that many supporters donated specifically to a new facility for the preschool. We will hold these funds for that purpose as the need for a new facility to house the preschool may arise in the future. We are researching wise and responsible investment options to take good care of this money so that it will grow and remain dedicated to the benefit of the children of the Chilkat Valley,” Hoffman wrote.