By Mike Armstrong
Reporter, Carbon County Comet
Wee Folk Place (Wee Folks), a preschool in Hanna, was facing the possibility of closure because funding was drying up. If closed, it would be unfortunate since the school has been open for 57 years continuously serving the communities of Hanna, Elk Mountain, and Medicine Bow. It is the only State-licensed facility of this type in northern Carbon County. The preschool provides learning skills and services, along with a healthy environment for children from the ages of 2 to 5. It is a non-profit organization that greatly depends on grants, donations, student tuition, and monthly fundraisers.
Board member Lois Buchanan and Director Robecca (Becky) Meyer decided to approach the Carbon County Comet and explain the realities of their situation and the preschool was in dire straits.
They both made it clear, they felt it would be bad for the community and the young ones if the place closed down. The school had graduated many tykes who went on to Hanna Elementary and then graduated from Hanna, Elk Mountain, Medicine Bow (HEM) High School.
Wee Folks was founded in 1971 by a group of ladies who were concerned about the development of young children. At the time, there was no kindergarten in the Hanna Elementary School. The school was created through a ladies group who called themselves the “Progressive Diggers”. In the 1970s, Hanna was still a coal mining town. The ladies elected a board of directors and employed two staff. The school was located in the Miners Plaza Shopping Center and the maximum number of kids was eight.
As time went by, the demand for services increased and a larger facility was required. The preschool moved to another area of the shopping center and is still there. After some time, Wee Folks decided to become a non-profit and did so in 1987. Then in 1990, Head Start got involved.
Buchanan told the paper in January, that Head Start was a blessing for the school, but unfortunately, about 10 years ago, Head Start pulled out because there were not enough students attending.
Wee Folks, like the town of Hanna, has had its boom and bust cycles, but it was always able to maintain through donations, tuition, grants and Head Start. When Head Start left, a real struggle to keep the preschool open.
Each year, Wee Folks found a way, but this January, it looked like Wee Folks time was running out.
Not so.
A very positive tale has unfolded concerning Wee Folks and its plight.
The article went out and one of the readers was Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD2) Superintendent Darrin Jennings.
“I read the story in the Comet and the wheels started churning,” Jennings said. “We have a pre-school in Encampment K-12 that is a little different, but it is the same principle.”
Jennings said he started approaching different people who would be instrumental in his plan. He wanted to offer Wee Folks a home at HEM. Jennings went to Eli Hobbs, the HEM principal who became very enthusiastic about helping. Jennings went to the CCSD2 and sought their advice and support. He was in talks with the Wee Folk Board and Director.
“Wee Folks was such a needed service in those communities that we felt we should explore every possibility to keep the doors open,” Jennings said “With all the cooperation from all involved, we were eventually successful in getting this all approved.”
Jennings praises Meyer for all the work she did.
“Becky did a lot of meetings with family services, the fire marshal and between Eli and Becky the work got done to make this successful,” Jennings said. “Ideally, we would have liked to have it at the elementary school, but there is no room.”
Meyer and Hobbs took care of much of the permitting issues and Jennings was focused on other aspects of making this happen.
“I worked with the school board and the attorney to develop a plan to use the HEM facility,” Jennings said. “It all came together and Wee Folks will be moving and be there for next year.”
The move will happen in June.
Jennings had kind words for the Carbon County Comet.
“I want to make clear, that the Comet staff made so much of this possible by giving me the names and contacts to get this all going,” Jennings said. “This has to be acknowledged.”
The value of helping young ones get into an educational atmosphere can be measured in many ways Jennings pointed out. The socialization that starts in preschool can help a student in later years.
Meyer agrees.
“The Elementary School has told me they see a big difference between a child who attended Wee Folks and one who didn’t by how they interact with their peers,” Meyer said.
Another positive about the preschool moving to HEM, is that its security will be vastly upgraded compared to the location it is at now.
“The current administration at HEM will work with Wee Folks to keep the children as safe as possible,” Jennings said. “That includes trainings and anything to do with security.”
The children will have their own bathrooms and the new location is currently the senior lounge. The seniors will still have a lounge but in another part of the school.
Wee Folks board member Rose Vaughn is extremely happy the preschool is being located in such a secure building.
“IDs will be needed to get into the building and the place is very secure,” Vaughn said. “That building is very safe and that is just as important as being able to save on rent and utilities.”
The move is going to be demanding Vaughn said. There is playground equipment, school materials and furniture. Plus they have to find a pod for storage of some of their stuff. Vaughn said the search goes on for it, and they are hopeful it will not have to come from a long distance.
“I believe we will get help to get it all done,” Vaughn said. “Darrin has already offered to help with his truck which is so nice. This whole move and donations for Wee Folks is a testament to how communities’ residents in Carbon County help each other if they know of the situation that requires attention.”
Jennings believes the move will be beneficial to all students in the building. The small ones will probably look forward to classes at the school where big kids go Jennings said and the high school students will learn an appreciation of being around small ones.
HEM principal Eli Hobbs said it was excellent the young ones were coming to the school. He said there are benefits for all, but most importantly, it was going to help the community keep a program that was vital to the communities of Carbon County.
“I welcome these young ones to our school,” Hobbs said. “We at HEM are going to do everything we can to be trained and ready for this new situation.”
With the hard work, all have seen Hobbs do to facilitate the move, no one doubts HEM will be ready when Wee Folks transfers over.
“Eventually we would like to have high school students help Wee Folks out if they are planning to go into education,” Jennings said. “They could really leave high school with some additional skills.”
The story of Wee Folk’s situation did not only inspire Jennings, but several organizations according to Meyer and Buchanan.
In addition to the move, thousands of dollars were donated to Wee Folks in the next couple of weeks.
Meyer and Buchanan are both emphatic that the Comet article had an impact with donors throughout the County. This may be true, but board member Angie Fivas was also working hard and knocking on doors to get funds.
“I know grants are important to an organization like this, but we needed funds now and grants can take a long time,” Fivas said. “There are avenues to get money and it requires getting out there on foot. So I hit the pavement.”
Fivas said it was inspiring how organizations and people from communities all over Carbon County came to help the preschool because the move to the high school is not a cure-all.
The move will save money on rent and utilities, a huge part of running Wee Folks. The monies raised at fundraisers will go to paying salaries and learning materials. The tuition is not expensive at $200 a month for full-time and $110 for part-time, so all at Wee Folks know, that although the preschool is saved and stable in many ways, fundraising still has to happen. Grants still need to be researched.
“It feels a whole lot better,” Meyer admitted. “But there is a bit of stress involved now with all these 57 years of stuff we have that we have to move. Saying that it is going to be great.”
“It gives us a reason to go through this 57 years of accumulated of stuff,” Buchanan said. “That is a benefit of this move too.”
Meyer has been with Wee Folks for 25 years. In the past decade, it has been difficult to know if the year to come, the school would be open.
“It is going to be so good to go through a school year and be able to breathe,” Meyer said. “It is never a good feeling to not be sure what the future is going to be.”
“Our fundraising might have to go into a different direction, but we can’t give up on it,” Buchanan said. “It is still important to our operations.”
Still, all associated with Wee Folks are feeling positive.
“It is like we have said before, the candle was going out,” Meyer said. “Now the candle is shining brighter than we ever dreamed it would.”
There is concurrence by all involved in the move and the board getting funds from many in Carbon County, once a need is communicated to the residents of this great place, people and organizations help those in need.
Especially if there is a need to help children.
Both Jennings and Hobbs said the exact words at different times.
“This is a win for Wee Folks and it is a win for the high school. It is a win-win situation.”
