Megan McKarnin was content running Munchkinland, a daycare and preschool started by her mother, the late Teresa Cook, years ago in the 400 block of East Jackson, just east of Iola High School.
So when she fielded a call several months ago about buying the Harvest Baptist Church building from its head pastor, Tony Godfrey, McKarnin politely declined.
“At the time I didn’t need it,” she said. “Then came the school bond issue.”
When USD 257 voters approved all three ballot measures in April, a new high school science building was included.
To accommodate the new science center, a handful of properties along the 400 block of East Jackson were or are in the process of being purchased by the school district.
That meant McKarnin needed to find a new site, and soon.
She went back to Godfrey, and asked to tour the church at 401 S. Walnut St.
“It was perfect,” McKarnin said.
On second thought, it was more than perfect, she quickly added.
With two separate buildings and a spacious play area, McKarnin realized she could expand her daycare and preschool.
In search of a partner, McKarnin placed a call to lifelong friend and former classmate Hayley Westerman, who also ran a daycare from her home in Iola.
“She was the first person I asked,” McKarnin recalled. “I figured she’d want to think about it.”
Instead, Westerman gave her the answer she was looking for in a matter of minutes.
“You don’t want to talk about it first,” an incredulous McKarnin asked.
“No,” Westerman said. “I’m ready to get out of the house. Having kids in your house is stressful. This way, it’s nice to leave work at work.”
The conversation was part of a rapid domino effect that has created new homes for the daycare and preschool, now called Munchkinland and More and to Harvest Baptist, which is renting the old Calvary United Methodist Church building at the intersection of Jackson and Walnut streets.
Harvest Baptist held its first church service at the Calvary building at the end of May.
