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Coronado preschools about to become a thing of the past.

I wanted to put this information out to everyone because I'm a concerned preschool parent. I attended my first school board meeting last week to support keeping open our local preschools. Because of state cutbacks they are deciding to close the preschool class at Village Elementary, which is the 2nd one in the past year. Last year they closed one of two preschool classes at Silver Strand Elementary. If they agree to close Village preschool, there will only be 1 public preschool for all of Coronado.

At last weeks meeting they have decided to agree to disagree until more details and numbers can be collected for the final decision at the next meeting on April 26th. They are bringing together all the information on the number of preschool children who are on the waiting lists and how to bring in funds to be able to keep things going.

A few questions I want to throw out there... What about the "millions" of dollars donated to The Coronado Schools Foundation annually? They just spent $10,000 on a "calendar committee" to decide on school dates and, the Foundation just received over $100,000 from the recent Telethon. They stated at the meeting that it only takes $25,000 to keep a preschool class running. To me $25,000 is a lot of money, but to the Foundation it is only a little.

I would love to see everyone come together for our little ones. Please keep the preschools open and even add on another.

Thank you,

Concerned Parent

1 member likes this

Comment by Gerin Canin on March 19, 2012 at 2:05pm: I am in total agreement even though my children are not preschoolers. If your information is correct and the school board spent over a third of what it would cost to keep a preschool class going on a "committee" to decide school dates, well this is just absurd! School dates are essentially the same each year, what the heck does a committee need $10,000 to decide?????

Comment by John Nolan on March 19, 2012 at 10:12pm: "Concerned Parent"

The sky is not falling and there are still plenty of GREAT Coronado pre-schools that are OPEN. My three children all attended Resurrection Pre-School and they are all better young men/women and students due to the efforts of Nancy Stringer and her staff at Resurrection. There are plenty of other great pre-schools in Coronado too in which plenty of good Nado families have come together to ensure their children have a fun and productive pre school experience.

Please give Nancy a call at Resurrection, you will be amazed at the results with you child and the great parents that you meet and end up making your friends.

john

Comment by Jennifer Barker on March 19, 2012 at 10:34pm: John, I appreciate your suggestion but unfortunetly we can't afford to pay for preschool. That's why I put this post out there about losing a "public" preschool.

Comment by Helen Nichols Murphy (Battleson) on March 20, 2012 at 7:04am: As a native born Coronadon who went to preschool at the old Pine School on 6th & "D" Avenue, I am very much for public pre-schools for my three youngest grandchildren in Coronado, who will be using them! My soon to be five year old grandson in July was expecting to go to school in September, with his little brother not far behind him!

Comment by Suzanne Ramirez on March 20, 2012 at 11:34am: Aren't the public pre-schools a very recent thing? My child is in high school now and when she was pre-school age, I don't think there were any public pre-school classes in Coronado.

Comment by Tonia Accetta on March 20, 2012 at 4:39pm: I have to say that the "public pre school" classes at Coronado were NOT for all children and only took kids from low income families. Most families living in Coronado did not or do not qualify for these classes and I think if it can not be offered to all children who wish to attend then it should not be offered at all.

Comment by jef on March 20, 2012 at 5:42pm: These were GOVERNMENT pre-schools; NOT public pre-schools. I still don't know why the government feels they must provide schools for the majority of the public. If they must, then vouchers should be given, based on income levels, and the parents should have choices of accredited free market educational facilities of which to send their children. Imagine the quality of education our kids would receive if there was competition for the students.