Longtime Lynn nursery school is now under new management

LYNN – It?s probably only fitting that the new owners of Busy Bee Nursery School in Lynn decided to keep the name when they took over the business last month.Ashley Pierce and Sarah Treiber have been going non-stop since June 26, cleaning, painting, planning, marketing and sorting through the mountains of toys, books, games and other learning materials that came with the building. Although still a work in progress, the new owners say the school will be ready for its debut on July 31, the day of the first open house.Busy Bee Nursery School, tucked away at the top of Severance Street off Lynnfield Street, has been a launching pad for youngsters for more than three decades. For the last 30-plus years, Patricia Melanson and Marcia Boudrow were the face of Busy Bee, first as teachers and for the past 26 years as owners and teachers.?It was time for us to retire and pass it on to someone new,” Melanson said.Pierce grew up in Lynn and still lives in the city. The 27-year-old English High graduate received her bachelor?s degree in childhood development with a minor in special education from Southern New Hampshire University and her master?s degree in early childhood education from American International College.Treiber grew up in Connecticut and attended Lynchburg College in Lynchburg, Va. She found her way north when she was working for Abercrombie and Fitch and was transferred to Boston. After her daughter, now 8 years old, was born, Treiber decided to make a career change and eventually began working at the Marblehead Children?s Center. This is where she and Pierce, who now lives in Somerville, made the connection.When Busy Bee went on the market last fall, Pierce and Treiber set out to buy it. At this point, the building is actually owned by Pierce?s uncle, and Pierce and Treiber own the business.?It?s something we?ve always wanted to do. We always wanted a school. We just want to come here and teach,” Pierce said.One of the first decisions they had to make was whether to keep the name or go with something new.?We thought about changing it, but everyone knows what Busy Bee is,” Pierce said. “Just growing up in Lynn and being part of the Lynn community, it was important to keep the spirit of Busy Bee alive ? Pat and Marcia have set a good standard for us to follow.”Pierce said they?ve learned a lot about the market in a very short time. She said originally they planned to stay open until 5 p.m., but when some parents inquiring about the school thought that meant it was a daycare, they made adjustments to the hours to make it clear it was a preschool program.Pierce and Treiber said parents want their children ready for kindergarten, both academically and socially. The school will be licensed for 34 students, 20 upstairs and 14 downstairs. Both women acknowledge that going into business with another person is a huge commitment.?There?s not a whole lot of people I would hop into business with,” Pierce said in talking about how the two of them share the same vision for the school.?We?re both perfectionists,” Treiber said. “We?re just trying to digest it (putting everything together) in small parts. We?re taking it one step at a time.”There?s still plenty of work to do to meet licensing requirements, but the two have been fortunate in that they?ve had plenty of help from family members and their boyfriends when it comes to things involving carpentry, electrical and plumbing matters.The first open house is scheduled for Wednesday, July 31 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. A second one will take place at some time in August. The two have been busy marketing the school since they bought it, mostly through Facebook.?The response from Facebook has been huge,” Treiber said.Joyce Erekson can be reached at [email protected].