Central Indiana county hopes to turn ‘beloved landmark’ into child care center

Clinton, Indiana – A proposal to convert an old elementary school into a daycare center is gathering feedback from the community through a survey.

Ernie Pyle Elementary School was shut down by South Vermillion Community School Corp. at the conclusion of the 2022–2023 academic year. Pyle, a well-known World War II journalist, was a native of the adjacent town of Dana and was killed by sniper fire in Okinawa, Japan, in 1945.

In close proximity to the intersection with Rangeline Road, the former school is located at 72 E. Vermillion County Road 1100 South. That is roughly 10 minutes’ drive south of Dana, a village of 500 people, and about 2 miles northwest of Clinton, a city with a population of around 4,800.

The survey is being run by Vermillion County Redevelopment Commission. The governing body is interested in learning about the county’s child care requirements, current child care options, and what services and programs would be most beneficial to the roughly 15,400 residents.

A news release issued Wednesday from the redevelopment commission said, “While tactics are ever-changing moving forward, the initially outlined goals set a foundation for the Redevelopment Commission to actively listen to the community, revitalize a beloved landmark and ultimately drive access to child care for all residents.”

About a hundred minutes’ drive west of Indianapolis is Vermillion County, which is located on the Illinois-Indiana border.