During the regularly scheduled Lisbon School Board meeting Wednesday, June 10, Bre Hoge, the area manager for Champions, was invited to speak about their partnership with the Lisbon Early Childhood Center (LECC).

Since their partnership began a year ago, Champions has been hard at work to make the LECC a high-quality place for children to spend their developmental years.

“Every decision, improvement, and investment has been centered around one goal: creating exceptional experiences for children while ensuring LECC remains a sustainable and thriving resource for our community,” Hoge said.

A couple specific changes include Haley Sondgeroth taking over as the Center Director, and Hanna Hinrichsen working alongside Sondgeroth as the enrichment educator.

“Together, [Sondgeroth and Hinrichsen] will review curriculum implementation, ensure activities are age-appropriate and developmentally aligned, and continue elevating the educational experience within each classroom,” Hoge explained.

In terms of curriculum, Champions has been implementing their nationally accredited curriculum at the LECC through the usage of learning centers and materials, classroom displays and organization, and more so that children’s learning, creativity, independence, and development are supported within the classroom.

Alongside changes within the classroom, Champions has made changes financially as well.

According to Hoge, in 2026 alone, “over $70,000 has been reinvested into families through scholarships, subsidies, district employee discounts, and other support programs. At the same time, we remain financially healthy.” The $70,000 in reinvestments is solely from the Lisbon Champions location.

However, prices are expected to go up for the 2026-2027 school year. Rates are expected to increase in the roughly 3 percent range. There was some food costs that were unknown for Champions to work with in their increase.

“Our goal is to ensure that we are affordable for families, while also taking into consideration the additional costs that food, staff raises, and continued educational excellence add to total expenses,” Hoge explained.

Lisbon superintendent, Autumn Pino, added, “if rates raise above 3% for the community this year, we’d come back and have some conversations.”

With the changes that Champions is making at the LECC, there are noticeable benefits, such as the growth that the center has seen. Last summer, the average weekly enrollment (AWE) at the LECC was about 160 children. This summer, the AWE is about 173 children, just three short of their goal for an AWE of 176 children. 173 children.

Since summer is officially here, the AWE has decreased, which is a result of school-year families temporarily pausing their care until the 2026-2027 school year rolls around.

Fortunately for those families, “LECC does not charge families a weekly holding fee to reserve their child’s space for the following school year,” according to Hoge.

“What matters most is our children,” Hoge said. “By collaborating with other Champions locations, sharing best practices, and investing in professional development, we continue to bring new ideas to LECC and strengthen the high-quality experience we provide for every child.”