Publisher’s Perspective

By Tim Douglass, Publisher

Minnewaska Area Schools Superintendent Chip Rankin hosted a meeting last Wednesday evening that attracted community leaders from the school district, the county, and the cities of Glenwood and Starbuck.  The reason for the meeting was to jump start discussion on Child Care in the Pope County Community.

“We are currently looking at options for an added Child Care access, but we need everyone involved in a cooperative effort to find solutions to the child care issue,” Rankin said.

He said the meeting was only the initiation of discussion to solve what he called a child care crisis in the community.

“I’ve been (Superintendent of MAS) for eight years and we’ve been discussing the child care issue every year.  He said it is time for the local governmental agencies in the community to come together and formulate a plan and then execute that plan “with urgency.”

We certainly agree.  Solving the child care “crisis” in Pope County is imperative because it is a major issue for continued and sustained economic and population growth in our community.  As Rankin stated, the community has a top quality school and “we’ll do everything to continue that;” it has a top quality health care and every effort will be made to continue that.  “Right now the issue is child care and we need a cooperative effort to solve that for the community and into the future.”

Locally a child care task force has been working as partners to explore opportunities for expanding child care access in Pope County.  Those representing local government entities at the meeting led by Rankin last Tuesday stated their support of the effort and most knew that support would mean some financial support as well.

Solving the child care “crisis” in Pope County is a problem that needs governmental and business cooperation, a thoughtful, well-accepted plan that will ensure sustainability.  If that happens, this community will be better positioned than most to continue to grow and boast a quality of life that will be the envy of many in Greater Minnesota.

Thank you to Rankin, school board members, task force members, city and county officials and local community members and leaders who recognize the challenge and are willing to lead the way. It should make us all optimistic about the future here.