In a 7 to 1 vote Monday night, the Newton School Board raised the proposed price on leasing approximately 30 percent of the Emerson Hough Elementary Building to the Newton YMCA for their daycare operations. The YMCA has requested to rent ten classrooms, the library/media center, the kitchen, and the playground for $1000 a month. The School Board is offering to lease the space for $2,000 per month, while paying all the utilities. The YMCA would be responsible for custodial service on the portion of the building they use. Board member Kristi Meyer cast the vote against the proposed $2,000 a month rental fee,  which she thought was too low. Newton School Board member Josh Cantu feels the big issue is having more daycare space in town, as the YMCA would move all their daycare operations to the building and accept more children.

“Anything that we can do to help make sure we have more opportunities is important for the community, so we are not turning away families. I think making sure we have a good partnership that keeps families in local public schools is more important to me than if the rent is going to be $1,000, $2,000, $2,500. It’s going to be peanuts if we can move more families to Newton schools. “

The Newton YMCA Board of Directors will now have to decide if they want to accept the Newton School Board’s proposal, present a counteroffer, or drop the proposal altogether. Both sides are agreeable to a 20-year lease with the rent and terms up for negotiations every five years. The Newton School District will not be using the Emerson Hough or Woodrow Wilson Elementary schools next school year as the transition from four to two elementary schools will be completed, with renovations and additions finished to Thomas Jefferson and Aurora Heights Elementary Schools.