GILROY
– Local preschools are suffering as the state’s economic
downturn puts parents out of work and reduces money to preschool
funding programs.
By Lori Stuenkel
GILROY – Local preschools are suffering as the state’s economic downturn puts parents out of work and reduces money to preschool funding programs. Preschool and child care centers that normally have waiting lists of children are experiencing a drop in enrollment that puts some operations in jeopardy.
Happy Place Montessori School recently mailed a letter to all former parents, asking for financial support.
“As you know, because this school is a non-profit organization, our resources are our parents. However, with so few children enrolled at this time, our resources are lacking,” wrote Mary Branch, the school’s director. “One or more of your children has previously attended our school … If your child has benefited from this school in any way at all, won’t you ‘pay it forward’?”
The school serves an average of 27 students each day but has room for 10 more full-time children or 20 part-time. Without more students, it will continue to lose $7,000 each month, Branch said. The school, which opened in 1987, usually has a waiting list of 40.
“I’m so frustrated, because I’ve done all this stuff and I don’t know what to do any more,” Branch said. “Right now we don’t have enough income to pay all of our expenses.”
The school’s enrollment has declined because some parents lost their jobs or have moved out of the area, Branch said.
Advertisements, fliers and a referral bonus have failed to bring in new students to Happy Place and to other Gilroy preschools, such as Little Thinkers Child Care and Preschool Program.
“We used to advertise … but we weren’t getting any calls, so there wasn’t really a point,” said owner Donna Silva. “I don’t get referral calls from new clients much at all.”
Half of the spaces at Little Thinkers are empty, said Silva, who attributes lower enrollment to layoffs and the closing of Indian Motorcycles.
“The techniques for getting new parents … in the past, they don’t work,” Silva said.
Happy Place is also getting fewer students from Calworks, a state program that subsidizes preschool and child care for very low-income families. The program has undergone budget cuts and has sent fewer children Branch’s way. The Calworks check that was supposed to arrive mid-month is late, so Branch is holding on to her payroll check until it arrives.
Meanwhile, Branch said she will continue to operate and hope that more children come in, be they part-time or drop-ins. All her teachers are working part-time and one was laid off this year.
“I’m holding on as long as I can,” she said. “I don’t want to panic people and lose those we have.”
Several of the school’s creditors, including its landlord, have given it a break, relaxing bill due dates.
“It just is a matter of how long people will wait to let us catch up,” Branch said.
