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On Thursday, there was a ribbon cutting for Little Lions Preschool at Western Heights Baptist Church in LaGrange.

“I’m excited to be here along with our chamber president Connie Hensler,” said Leslie Traylor, Director of Member Engagement for the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce.

“Meg, it’s been a privilege working with you, and we’re so excited that you have joined the chamber,” she said, referring to preschool director Meg McLeod.

“Many of you may not know I got my career in childcare right here,” Chamber of Commerce Chairman Dale Jackson said. “I kept nursery every other week. I loved it. So anyway, it’s wonderful to have you all here. It’s wonderful that this is now available. We all know how important education is in Troup County, so thank you all for the role that you play.”

Board of directors president Lindsay Morris was the next to speak.

“I don’t feel completely qualified to say anything because all of these teachers that are a part of the vision behind all of this, they deserve all the credit, no doubt about it,” she said.

“I just feel like I’m a huge advocate of all that they have done and all that they are going to do this year.”

McLeod cut the ribbon.

According to McLeod, Little Lion’s Preschool is a continuation of a former kindergarten that existed for 60 years at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in LaGrange. She said the church closed the school last year.

“There’s seven of us that got together,” she said. “And the traditions and the curriculum were so important we could not let it go away. So we got together, and we looked for a new home. We went and talked to different churches. And Western Heights, when we walked in, they were so welcoming. And they have incredible facilities, and we knew then that this is where we were meant to be.”

McLeod said that Little Lions Preschool was incorporated in March. The school’s mascot is a lion, as was St. Mark’s.

“We have gotten licensed by Right from the Start, we have 40 children enrolled to start here on Monday, we have been in the week of “meet the teacher” visits, and together, we have put this school together,” she said.

Board member Kathy Tilley’s mother, Burma Wright, developed St. Mark’s curriculum, according to McLeod.

“Burma Wright was the director for many, many years. … We’re carrying on Burma’s memory and everything she did,” McLeod said.

McLeod said that the school is about to build a new playground.

“We got a grant from the Callaway foundation as well as enormous support from the community,” she said.

“And we’re just so excited about our future. We want it to live 60 more years or beyond.”