A project years in the making is finally taking its first official step this week, as local leaders break ground this Friday at 10 a.m. on Flandreau’s new Early Childhood Learning Center.
The new facility will go up on the west end of the public school campus, where the old tennis courts once stood — an area that’s served as overflow parking for events in recent years but will soon become home to something much more impactful.
The center is part of a larger vision shared by the Boys and Girls Club of Moody County, the City of Flandreau, Moody County, and the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe. The goal: provide better access to affordable, quality childcare for families in the region, especially for children ages 0–5.

The need is real. With many local providers full and working with limited hours, families have had to make tough choices about jobs and daily schedules. This center hopes to change that — helping working parents and giving kids the strong start they deserve.
Bids for the project were opened last week inside the Club’s new expansion. Seven companies submitted proposals, with most estimates coming in right around the $2.5 million mark. Mills Construction, which also built the recent Boys and Girls Club addition, is expected to be awarded the bid this week.
“We’re very excited to work on ECE, we’ve enjoyed working with Design Arc and the Boys and Girls Club on this project, and it just feels like a natural fit from here to there, stay on site, and keep maintaining these relationships — we love working with the team here,” said Jacob Hanson, the project manager with Mills Construction.
Initial funding came from a state economic development grant with the remainder being raised through private donations. More on the center and the impact it is expected to have on the community, in next week’s issue.