SEAN BOSTON
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — USD 308 Hutchinson Public Schools broke ground Tuesday afternoon on the future Lil' Hawks Child Care Center, a project aimed at expanding early childhood education opportunities in the district.
The new facility will be located at the corner of 29th Avenue and Adams Street, just northwest of Morgan Elementary School.
“This is a project that has been in the works for a long time,” said Stacy Goss, mayor of Hutchinson and the district’s director of communications.
USD 308 Board of Education President Laura Corey shared a personal story during the ceremony, recalling her struggle to find child care when she was expecting her first child more than 15 years ago.
“I had barely gotten a faint line on a pregnancy test before that all-consuming panic hit,” Corey said. “What are we going to do for child care? I vividly remember calling everyone I knew, trying to find a spot for a baby that wasn’t even born yet. That moment stuck with me — not because it was rare, but because it is so common.”
Corey highlighted the district’s long-standing commitment to early childhood education. She noted that USD 308 has provided child care services since 1999 through a center originally built by Hutchinson High School students as part of a career and technical education program.
“That center has cared for generations of Hutchinson kids for over 25 years,” Corey said. “That’s a legacy of hands-on learning, service, and collaboration — one that we are proud to build on today.”
Corey emphasized the importance of accessible early education, citing research that shows children who attend high-quality child care are more likely to succeed academically and socially.
“As both a parent and your school board president, I’m proud to say this center reflects exactly what Hutchinson Public Schools stands for — integrity, compassion, innovation and perseverance,” Corey said.
The district’s Lil' Hawks Early Childhood Programs and the Early Education Center of Reno County currently offer services for pregnant women and children from birth to age 3, including free preschool for families with children ages 3-5. Center-based child care is offered on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Preschool programs follow the USD 308 academic calendar, with site options at Morgan Elementary, Lincoln Elementary, Park Place, and the Shirley J. Hutcherson Center.
