The operators of a North Vancouver preschool that has been taking care of tots for more than 70 years say they may need to close for good if they don’t receive financial help from the community.
Non-profit Upper Lonsdale Preschool offers a play-based program for three- and four-year-old children to explore and learn through various activities like art, music and outdoor play.
As costs rise and funding from the government and community becomes thin, they are asking for help from the public. The non-for-profit preschool says they need $38,000 by May 31 to cover next year’s operating costs so they can find a long-term solution or they will be forced to close their doors after the academic year is over in June.
“It’s been years of riding in a deficit, it’s not just that it’s happened overnight. We’ve slowly been seeing a decline in our numbers,” said lead teacher for Upper Lonsdale Preschool Erin Tommasi.
The preschool launched a GoFundMe to help save the facility back in March and have raised just over $2,700. North Shore TD branches have also pitched in to help save the preschool, making a $5,000 donation.
The school’s main funding is through parent fees, Tommasi said. A small portion is from government and community grants, but those aren't always guaranteed. On top of raising funds, they are hoping to fill 28 spots for the fall to stay open. Only 15 children have enroled, she said, and they'd need another 13 students to break even.
“This would create us a bridge for next year to kind of envision how we can move forward and continue to be sustainable,” she said.
A number of factors are likely contributing to the preschool's decreasing enrolment numbers in the last few years, Tommasi said.
Early education has changed in the last few years, she said, including the $10-a-day childcare model, which does not include operations like Upper Lonsdale Preschool.
Another factor could also be the preschool’s model of two-and-a-half-hour classes in the morning and in the afternoon, particularly for families who work full-time and are looking for all-day care. As traditional preschools are disappearing, Upper Lonsdale wants to keep their model running for families who want or need other options, said Tommasi.
“For families that choose something different, we want to stay here for them,” she said.
Preschool holds longstanding history and sense of community, lead teacher and parent say
Upper Lonsdale Preschool has been teaching children in North Vancouver for 71 years, first opening their doors in 1954.
The preschool has been teaching multiple generations, with many former attendees coming back with their own children, said Tommasi, adding that it holds a special place in many people’s hearts, including her own.
“It’s kind of a tricky situation, because we’re not just a preschool. There’s so much community involvement within these walls, being that it’s been here for 70-odd years,” she said. “I brought my child here when she was three, and that was 20 years ago. So this little place holds a lot of heart.”
Madeleine Campbell, parent and communications lead of the preschool’s executive committee, shares Tommasi’s sentiment, as she went there as a child and her son currently attends the preschool.
“I just have really warm memories from that time,” Campbell said. “When I came back to go to the open house for [my son], I was just shocked at how little had changed from when I was a kid.”
Campbell said she hopes the school will stay afloat not only for the kids, but because it is a vital part of the community.
“I think it would really change the neighbourhood a lot,” Campbell said, adding that they have been able to build a community of parents being friends with one another and siblings returning there to help with events.
Both Tommasi and Campbell hope they can save the preschool to protect the space before the end of May.
The preschool also helps teach children important skills in their formative years like social and emotional regulation, giving them the confidence to step into kindergarten, Tommasi said.
“We want to protect the space where we feel children are truly seen, heard and nurtured and where families who value this kind of care still have a place to turn,” Tommasi said. “We believe that this kind of childhood experience is worth fighting for.”
Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
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