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The capital campaign to raise money for a new building for Wonder World Preschool is underway, and according to Wonder World Board Member Ashley Haken, just over 20 percent of their goal has been raised.
“We’re about a fifth of the way there,” Haken said during a community support meeting Sunday afternoon in the MCC Auditorium. “That’s why we need to keep moving forward.”
A goal of $2.1 million has been set for the new building, which will be located on land near the Slaytona Beach swimming pool. The City of Slayton is donating the land and has agreed to cover the cost of hooking up utilities and taking care of mowing and snow removal. The new building will be licensed for 92 children, with 8,820 square feet of space. That is 3,000 square feet more than the current space that is leased from St. Ann’s Catholic Church.
In June 2024, the Wonder World Board learned they were losing their lease with the church after being homed at St. Ann’s for more than 50 years. The board spent considerable time exploring options, even putting out a public survey regarding some of those options. Building new was chosen as the best way to move forward by both the board and results from the community survey, but funding the project has been difficult.
An initial plan for a building from construction management firm Contegrity Group came with a cost of more than $3.4 million, but by making some changes, the board has been able to bring the cost down. Those changes include not using the construction management company or their architectural/ engineering service.
Instead, they paid a flat fee for the architectural plans. Some design changes maximized the square footage of the building, simplified the roof design and eliminated the need for a fire suppression system. The new design also has a full kitchen and ADA compliant bathrooms.
Letters have been sent out to area businesses in regard to the capital campaign. The letters contain a request for funding donations or pledges to go toward the build. According to Haken, some people have asked what will happen to their donations or pledges if they don’t meet their goal.
“Pledges won’t be billed until we are ready to move forward,” Haken explained. “Money that is donated cannot be returned, but plan Z would be to use it to support another non-profit organization such as a child initiative.”
Fundraising efforts outside the capital campaign continue, with the next event happening at Key Largo Saturday, August 23 from noon to 5 p.m. There will be a silent auction, along with a meal and activities that include yard games, the Zoomobile, sensory games and a coin hunt. Anyone wishing to donate items to the silent auction can bring them to Wonder World by August 15.
Currently, Murray County is short on needed childcare by approximately 100 spots, Haken said. About 70 percent of that shortage is in the infant/ toddler age group.
Efforts have been made to apply for grants, but so far none have been secured. The board believes the grant requests were unsuccessful because at the time they applied, their plans were not far enough along. New grant rounds are opening and will be pursued. State and federal funding is complicated in this political era. The Wonder World Board recently discovered that their attempts to gain Congressionally Directed Spending were unsuccessful.
Approximately $228,000 were procured through Tax Increment Funding, and another $100,000 was pledged by the Murray County EDA, contingent on the project being fully funded. Efforts to secure funding through Murray County in October 2024 were initially successful for $750,000, but the Murray County Board of Commissioners reversed that decision on a 3-2 vote during the last meeting of 2024.
During Sunday’s meeting, several citizens made suggestions or asked questions about various grant options, and also about upcoming deadlines.
St. Ann’s had initially given Wonder World a deadline of July 31, 2025 to be out of the building, but extended the lease for one year.
Wonder World Board President Kyla Buldhaupt said that has been extended to July of 2027, but only if the church sees physical progress by April 1, 2026. What the guidelines are to define “physical progress” is not clear, Buldhaupt said, but she was working to get that clarified.
Brent Miller, who attended Sunday’s meeting, said he was disappointed at the turnout for the meeting. Less than 20 people were in the MCC Auditorium for the presentation.
“There should be county commissioners here,” he stated. “If not all, at least one of them. The headbutting that appears to have taken place with them stinks. This is a community problem that will affect businesses and schools in Murray County.”
“Wonder World closing will affect the hospital, government center and more,” added former commissioner Lori Gunnink. “This will impact the entire county.”
Pledge cards are available at Wonder World, the Slayton Library, Minnwest Bank and Pizza Ranch. More information about the capital campaign and building project efforts can be found at www.wonderworldpreschool. org.
