Although it wasn’t on the agenda, discussion of a recent proposal by the Mathews Family YMCA to offer a preschool/day care program for 2-, 3- and 4-year-olds on school grounds dominated discussion during Tuesday’s meeting of the Mathews County School Board.
At the meeting, which was held in Thomas Hunter Middle School’s Brooks Auditorium, many of the 14 speakers addressing the board during public comment period brought up the proposal with nine speaking in favor of the plan, including two county supervisors and the current Mathews High School principal, who had served as the county’s elementary school principal for a dozen years before becoming MHS principal. Three spoke out against the plan, with two others not addressing the issue.
Representatives from the Y presented their proposal at the school board’s October meeting, seeking permission from the school board to operate the preschool program on school grounds. At that meeting, Caitlyn Leavens, associate VP of child care for the YMC...