KidStart Information
GOOD NEWS!
April 24, 2026
UPDATE!
Good Evening,
I am happy to share that the work in the KidStart building has been completed and we have been given the green light to resume all programs here on Monday, April 27.
We are truly grateful for all the support from families, staff, and the community along the way.
We are looking forward to Monday and can’t wait to welcome everyone back. 
Stephanie Metz
VP of Children’s Services
Past Updates
April 15, 2026
Since our last update, we’ve made steady progress and have begun putting rooms back together in one wing of the building. The most time-consuming portion of this project has been the 100 wing, where the initial break occurred. Unfortunately, there is still more work to be completed, and we will not be able to welcome everyone back by April 20 as we had hoped. We understand this may be disappointing, but please know that we are doing everything possible to reopen as quickly and safely as we can.
Barring any unforeseen delays—and pending the required Fire Safety inspection once contractors have finished—we anticipate that programs will resume at the KidStart building on Monday, April 27.
Thank you again for your understanding and support. We look forward to welcoming everyone back soon.
Stephanie Metz
VP of Children’s Services
April 1, 2026
Good Afternoon,
As we are nearing spring recess, I wanted to provide an update on where we are at with the repairs at KidStart. The flood caused extensive water damage that has had crews working 7 days a week since the beginning. Paint is currently being applied on the new drywall in the less impacted wing of the school building. While steady progress is being made and will continue to happen over spring recess, there is still a lot of work to be done and it has become evident that our building will not be ready to reopen when we return from break. We are pushing hard to aim for Monday, April 20th pending the completion of the project and the necessary inspections that follow. We will have an additional update after the break.
The time we had to be closed prior to implementing the Emergency Remote Instruction Plan caused us to exceed the allotted emergency closing days. As a result, we will be extending our school year to Tuesday, June 30th to meet the 180 day requirement for New York State.
Thank you for your continued patience and understanding.
Stephanie Metz
VP of Children’s Services
March 24, 2026
Since our last update, the focus has been on maintaining stability and support for our preschoolers, families, and staff while restoration work continues behind the scenes. The flooding caused significant water damage that extended from the end of the 100 wing (near the playground) through much of the adjacent wing. The remediation team worked through the first two weeks extracting water, drying wet areas, and removing portions of walls and flooring that need to be replaced. That work is complete and contractors are now working on repairs. While we are not yet able to give a date of completion, progress is steady, and each step brings us closer to returning to our space. We will send out another update once we know more about an official time for reopening. In the meantime, I want to express my sincere gratitude for the patience and support shown by families, staff, and the community during this time. It has truly been a collective effort.
Stephanie Metz
VP of Children’s Services
March 12, 2026
Good Evening,
We wanted to reach out to all families to let you know that we will begin implementation of our remote instruction plan tomorrow (March 13). You can expect teachers and service providers to be reaching out to you then. Thank you for your continued patience and understanding during this time. We know this is challenging and are here to support you.
Stephanie Metz
VP of Children’s Services
March 10, 2026
Hello KidStart Families and Staff:
Today we received an update from the remediation team working on our building. They are estimating 30 days to repair the extensive water damage that occurred on Sunday(3/8). We will be implementing our emergency remote instruction plan similar to the COVID shut down period. We ask for your patience and cooperation as we work through next steps and will get additional communication out by the end of the week.
Thank you,
Stephanie Metz
VP of Children’s Services