Little School At Duke Has Openings For Fall
New on-site childcare center scheduled to open in early September
The Little School at Duke, which is on track to open on Sept. 4, has filled 119 openings and currently has 40 spaces left for children age 3 months to 6 years old.
After months of renovations of buildings on Hull Avenue near Central Campus, the school is making preparations to welcome its new community. The school's opening will more than double the number of on-site childcare spaces for children of Duke faculty, staff and graduate students.
Read More"It has been exciting to see the campus take shape," said Christa Niven, director and co-owner of The Little School of Hillsborough, which will operate the new center. "Now we can put the finishing touches in and focus on landscaping as well."
The Little School at Duke will accommodate 159 children from 3 months to 6 years old. Because of high demand for care for infants and 1-year-old children, the school has increased the number of classes for the youngest children, offering 27 spots for infants and between 24 to 36 spots for 1-year-olds.
The new childcare center complements the Duke Children's Campus, which accommodates 152 children on Alexander Avenue, said Denise Evans, executive director of Duke Staff & Labor Relations and Duke's Staff and Family Programs.
"Our benefits package is very competitive, and the access to onsite childcare is an added plus of working at Duke," Evans said. "We are fortunate to be able to provide this expansion of services to our faculty and staff."
The Little School will open with 33 teachers plus two chefs. The school offers fresh-baked bread each day, and snacks and meals made largely from local organic produce, Niven said. The head chef, Justin Cole, is coming to The Little School at Duke from La Residence in Chapel Hill. He will maintain a child-friendly kitchen garden as well as prepare snacks and meals.
"Nutrition is very important to us," Niven said. "We treat our children as confident eaters as well as confident learners."
The Little School at Duke is open only to the children of faculty, staff and graduate students of Duke University and Health System. Tuition at The Little School is the same as for the Duke Children's Campus, ranging from $1,086 per month for older children to $1,335 per month for infants. Limited part-time options are available.