Seeing a need in the community and acting upon it is oftentimes a heavy burden. But when Dear Elementary Principal Dr. Marlaine Boyd and the R-XVI School District saw the need for an early childhood center in the Richmond community, the challenge was accepted. Boyd recently announced a center is underway, with a projected completion date of 2024-25 school year. During the early months of Boyd’s hiring, retired Dear Elementary Principal Piper Peterson mentioned the need for the center. Since that time, Boyd, Dear Elementary staff, Richmond School Board and Richmond Superintendent Dr. Bryan Copple have been brainstorming on expanding the preschool program. Boyd explained that not only was the school lacking in classrooms, but there was also a lengthy waiting list for preschool enrollment. “Within my first six months here, we had infants on the waiting list – separated by graduation year – so we could begin planning and seeing how great the need would be in the coming years,” Boyd…