When she heard a longtime preschool was closing, this educator had courage to buy it
As many small-business owners in Lee’s Summit struggled to survive stay-at-home orders, Hilary Graves was pushing forward on purchasing a local preschool. The new owner of A Better Choice (ABC) Preschool in downtown Lee’s Summit will reopen to students June 8.
Graves, an early childhood educator, has spent the last 13 years raising her children. After hearing the ABC Preschool in downtown Lee’s Summit was going to close permanently at the end of the school year, she gathered her courage and decided to buy the school.
In January, her plans started to unfold. Graves met with parents in February to hear their concerns and wishes for the school.
The opportunity to buy seemed solid. The school had completed enrollment for summer sessions and fall classes by February. Graves felt confident in the staff, who have degrees focused on early childhood or early elementary education. The school had served Lee’s Summit for 20 years.
“The model of the traditional preschool is one that I’ve always wanted and believed is needed for the community,” said Graves, a first-time business owner.
Graves, who has a master’s degree in education, specializing in curriculum instruction, was a district teacher of the year in Harrisonville in 2004. She’s also worked in the Lee’s Summit and Indepence school districts.
In March, health restrictions caused the previous owner to send kids home for virtual learning. Though the future of the school and learning was suddenly uncertain, Graves kept her promise to buy, closing the deal May 15.
“Buying this preschool as everything was shutting down was terrifying. There’s just no other way to put it,” Graves said.
Since officially taking over the school, Graves has been working hard to get the school ready for kids, though early on she didn’t know when the doors could open. Friends and family have helped Graves update the building interior and complete exterior work. They converted a classroom to a school-wide STEM learning space and put teachers and supplies in place.
“It’s been doubly hard to do everything, and I was prepping for a school that might not even open,” Graves said.
When the Jackson County Health Department said summer camps could open June 1, Graves had ABC Preschool ready to go.
The preschool summer session will look a bit different. As many activities as possible, including lunch, will be outside. Parents will do pick-up and drop-off without coming inside the building.
“So, things we’ve updated and want to show off to parent will just have to wait for safety reasons,” Graves said.
Graves is focusing on the positive. The early spring school closure gave her more time to get those improvements completed – even if parent can’t see them yet.
ABC Preschool serves children ages 3 to 5. It provides a traditional preschool experience from 9 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. with possible extended care until 1 p.m. The school is located at 8 S.E. Fifth St. in downtown Lee’s Summit. The fall semester is currently scheduled to start Aug. 31.