Impasse Between Remnant Church, Day Care Continues
The impasse between the leadership of The Remnant Church in La Grange and The Remnant Academy day care appears no closer to a resolution. The day care may have to close at the end of May if a resolution cannot be reached.
The Remnant Academy held a meeting for parents on Thursday night, Feb. 22, at the La Grange Rec. Center, and they sent a letter to parents summarizing the meeting afterwards.
In the letter, the Academy said The Remnant Church (TRC) board of directors sent them a lease agreement in August 2023, to be signed by September 1, 2023, and go into effect October 1, 2023. According to the letter, the Academy has never had a formal lease agreement with TRC since the day care started in 2007.
The Remnant Academy (TRA) said they disagreed with this lease agreement for a number of reasons.
“TRA has paid off the building that houses its seven classrooms and office, the play structure outdoors, the splash pad, and is now completely debt free,” the letter said. “TRA has also paid for many building improvements over the years totaling an amount well over $307,335. These improvements have benefited both TRA and TRC.”
The letter went on to say, “Requiring TRA to pay rent will require an increase in tuition price that would price-out many families and become unaffordable to children that deserve safe, quality care regardless of their family situation.”
The Remnant Academy is one of two day cares in La Grange that accepts government assistance for low-income families.
“At this time, TRA is at a place where it is debt-free and can be a blessing to families through keeping costs down, having smaller class sizes than state-allowed ratios, provide amazing benefits to staff, and continue to provide children with a great learning environment year-round in a beautiful facility,” the letter said.
The letter went on to say that The Remnant Academy has engaged a realtor to negotiate with the Church about purchasing the facility, and they are seeking alternative day care options for parents in the event of a closure.
Two days prior, on Monday, Feb. 19, Pastors Kolbe and Rachel Hill of The Remnant Church called a meeting of church members to discuss the day care. According to an attendee at that meeting, Pastor Kolbe Hill spoke about a family conflict which has played a role in the situation.
Dennis Hill founded The Remnant Church with his wife Jan. Both retired as pastors in 2021, leaving leadership of the church to Kolbe and Rachel. Dennis and Jan Hill continue to serve on The Remnant Academy board of directors, according to the Academy’s publicly available IRS filings.
At the Church meeting on Monday, Pastor Kolbe Hill said he and Rachel remain open to a resolution.
The Record contacted Pastor Kolbe Hill after the meeting, but he declined to comment for this article.