GAINESVILLE - A day after a Gainesville day care center on Dawsonville Highway went into foreclosure parents remain angry about the lack of communication from the owner.
There were no bidders for Little Learners Day Care during Tuesday's foreclosure held at the Hall County Court House according to center director Malissa Lincoln, who attended the proceeding. Zions First National Bank was the lender on a $1.3-million note held by Little Learners owner Steve Koepsell of Marietta.
According to a published foreclosure notice Koepsell took out the loan in August 2007. Parents and staff members said they did not know about the foreclosure until the published notice appeared about three weeks ago.
Former Little Learners parent Tanya Staton had a six-month-old and four year old child attending the day care and said the foreclosure took her by surprise.
"I understand times are tough but to act as if nothing is going on is not acceptable," she said. "If he (Koepsell) had just sent out some type of notification that the center was closing due to financial stress then I think the parents would have been much more understanding."
Just over 100 children attended Little Learners, which also provided an after school program. Lincoln said the school's Pre-K teaching positions were state funded, but parents withdrew their children with word that Koepsell faced foreclosure.
Koepsell came to Gainesville to close Little Learners Wednesday and send staff members home.
Thursday
October 17th, 2024
9:17AM
