Brittany Kelley
KYLE — After 24 years of service, Jane Terrell made the hard decision to sell Rocking Horse Academy.
The pre-kindergarten and childcare learning center was built for love from the beginning. Terrell shared that the idea sparked after both her daughters were pregnant and she wanted an opportunity to see her grandchildren everyday, while still being a working woman. So, she retired from a career of teaching in Austin ISD to build, design and open Rocking Horse Academy in 2002.
“I built this school for my grandchildren, [but] Emily and Nicholas are now 26; both have graduated from college. Caitlin is 22; she’s graduated from college,” said Terrell. “I’ve literally got to be with my family, my grandchildren and now, I have two great-grandchildren here that are now 1 year old. I get to see them everyday and I am a very vital part of their lives and that’s what I wanted.”
This endeavor has been such an important part of her life, she said, so it was easy to ignore the various emails over the years inquiring about purchasing the company, until last year when, at age 77, Terrell simply asked, “What would that look like?”
From there, she sent the requested documentation to KinderCare, a childcare and early childhood education company operating throughout the nation, and received an offer that, for the first time in 24 years, made Terrell pause and ask herself what she wanted.
“I’m [now] 78 years old and I’m not dying, but reality is, when you look at the calendar, 78’s kind of up there. I just don’t want to spend the rest of my life working,” she said.
But the choice wasn’t easy. Tearing up, Terrell emphasized that choosing to be “selfish” for the first time was difficult.
“It’s been extremely hard. My family works here. My four grandchildren grew up here; that’s all they’ve ever known is the family owning Rocking Horse Academy. Sydney was 2 weeks old [and] Emily and Nicholas were only 2 years old when they started here. They all got their first job here and I now have two great-grandchildren … [that] have four more years of childcare that they need and I am taking all that away,” Terrell said. “I would sit at home at night going, ‘This is such a selfish decision,’ but I also have to say — I’ve worked 62 years. I deserve the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of my labor and to enjoy the freedom that I’ve earned by operating a business. I put a lot at risk and I put in a lot of time and a lot of hard work. So, I do want to reap those benefits and enjoy [life].”
Retirement for the business owner looks like art classes, international traveling — including a trip to Finland this fall — volunteering to stay involved in the community and having a glass of wine at lunch with her girlfriends.
Although excited for her new adventure, she recalled fond memories, like the days of her grandchildren stopping by for a snack from her famous snack drawer or the connections she’s formed with teachers, some of whom have been with her for 15 years.
The effort and care these teachers put into their students is why Terrell was assured that KinderCare has no intention to affect staff during the transition, which will happen over a weekend in September. The concept of Rocking Horse Academy will stay the same, with the age groups served, but some basics, such as procedures, menus and curriculum, may change, she explained.
“I’ve had so many people that have gone on Facebook, people who used to work here, but don't anymore or students who came here or parents have stopped me and said, ‘My kids came here’ and now their kids are coming here,” Terrell said. “I’m so proud of so many of my students that have graduated and who come back and remember Rocking Horse Academy. And for me, I feel fulfilled that I've been successful, but that we have played such an important role in the development of Kyle and all of these children that went to Rocking Horse Academy. There are thousands of them in the world and they, so many of them, have reached out kindly with support and you know how much they loved us and that just means the world to me.”
Rocking Horse Academy will continue to serve its families until Friday, Sept. 18, when KinderCare will begin the transition and reopen Monday, Sept. 21.
To learn more, visit Rocking Horse Academy at rockinghorseacademy.com or KinderCare at www.kindercare.com.
