The sudden decision by a local preschool program to withdraw from Talent Elementary School next school year means that a beloved magnet program will remain in its original two-room schoolhouse.

Phoenix-Talent School District Superintendent Brent Barry said in a video message to parents Thursday that the Ivy School, operated by the Children’s Museum of Southern Oregon, informed the district it would not be serving students in Talent next year.

The decision means that the TES Outdoor Discovery Program, located at 309 W. Main St., won’t have to move across the street to the elementary school at 307 Wagner Creek Road. Some parents were outraged at plans to move ODP and even threatened to remove their children from the district.

Now, the Ashland Family YMCA has agreed to move into the space inside the elementary school currently occupied by the departing Ivy School, Barry said in an interview early Friday afternoon. 

“YMCA has been extremely professional, respectful and flexible,” Barry said. “When a space came open, we approached them and it worked.”

In the video to parents, Barry said he appreciates the partnership the district has with the Ivy School, but “we do understand that it needs to be fiscally feasible for them to continue.”

In a second interview late Friday afternoon, Barry clarified he was not saying that the Ivy School is in financial trouble. He said the Ivy School, which moved in to TES during the 2023-24 school year and serves 20 students for free, always talked about needing more classroom space. However, Barry said in the later interview, the district was not able to do that. 

“We talked about (more classroom space) internally as we were starting to offer a multitude of preschool options,” Barry said. “We were looking at the classroom next door to them and, at that time, it wasn’t feasible.”

Barry added if the Ivy School’s situation improves, like the district’s budget, the district would love to partner with the school again.

Sunny Spicer, executive director of the children’s museum that operates the preschool, said in an interview Friday that she respects the district’s decision to make the call about its own properties.

“In the end, I’m glad that the (Outdoor Discovery Program) will still be operating and that there will still be an early learning center in Talent,” Spicer said. “Moving forward, I hope we can all work together and find the best opportunities for families.”

She said the Ivy School always hoped to expand to multiple classrooms in TES to meet the needs of the school’s staffing costs.

The district had approached the Ivy School last year about the possibilities of offering full-time programs and “additional opportunities for families,” according to Spicer. Officials with the Ivy School responded they could if they had more classroom space, she said.

“Once it was clear that the ability to expand was gone, we just didn’t see a financial viability in staying there,” Spicer said. 

“We were invested there, we were operating at a loss, we had been under the impression that eventually, we would be able to expand our program in Talent,” Spicer said. “(But) the district went a different direction. 

Many parents and staff of the Outdoor Discovery Program were strongly against ODP’s relocation, suggesting it would spell the end of the treasured magnet program. Some parents demanded that the district reverse its decision.

On Friday, Barry said that the YMCA’s decision made ODP parents happy.

“I know it’s been emotional,” he said. “I’m really glad that they really enjoy and love that space and they’ll be able to enjoy that … for however long.” 

With Ivy School preparing to depart TES and YMCA looking ahead to move in, Barry on Friday maintained that one of the district’s major goals is to provide preschool at a time when the region and state is seeing shortages.

“Our goal is to look at as many options as possible for families to have preschool,” Barry said. “Not only is it a benefit to the kids as they prepare for kindergarten, but it’s also an economic driver where families can, (with) subsidized preschool, be able to go back to work. That’s what we hear a lot is our families aren’t able to work because again, lack of affordable day care.”