Dear Editor,

If you are a Ned City registered voter, you have received your ballot for the special election to validate (or reject) the Nederland Board of Trustees’ Special Review Use (SRU) approval to lease city-owned land at 750 West 5th Street to TEENS, Inc. to build and run a year-round infant to preschool aged preschool.

The same day I got my ballot, I also got a letter urging me to vote no. In it, I read so much misinformation, that I was motivated to write this letter in support of both the clear need for more affordable daycare capacity here in Ned, and TEENS, Inc. as a nonprofit organization that has been doing good work here since 1997.

In 2019, two preschools in town closed, leaving us without year-round reliable education and care options for young children. TEENS, Inc. stepped up to meld the staff from two preschools into the New Explorers Learning Center (NELC) at 391 West 1st Street. This besides running the alternative high school, multiple youth employment programs, parent education workshops, and the Teen Center by the skate park.

Today, there is no current licensed infant care, and NELC is the only licensed-care option for 2.5 to 5 year olds (in the 50-mile stretch of the P2P from Central City to Jamestown) which due to its current building size can only serve a maximum of 20 children.

There are now over 60 children seeking enrollment immediately or in the near future. Of them, about 70% live in the 80466 zip code (basically from Cold Springs to Magnolia), and over 40% live within Ned city limits.

Studies clearly show that access to quality, affordable child care and early learning opportunities enables parents to work, strengthens the local economy as a whole, and supports children’s overall development. Without these options, families are forced to move out of the area, seek care in other communities, or choose less safe or reliable care. This results in declining enrollment in our local K-12 school and workforce challenges for local employers.

With approval of the Nederland BOT’s one dollar per year lease, TEENS, Inc. will (continue to) raise $6.2 million to build an early education center to care for 65+ children on the leased lot, and move the existing New Explorers Learning Center to the site by the summer of 2026.

I hope you agree with me that TEENS, Inc. is a worthy organization to take on this critical need here in Nederland, and not only vote yes in this special election, but like me you will consider making a tax-deductible donation toward that $6.2 million dollar building. (They are an Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.)

Bret Nye

Nederland