In a time where the need for affordable child care is critical
to many families, Morgan Hill is about to have less, rather than
more. After 47 years, 27 at the same location, the Morgan Hill
Children
’s Center will close its doors at the end of May.
In a time where the need for affordable child care is critical to many families, Morgan Hill is about to have less, rather than more. After 47 years, 27 at the same location, the Morgan Hill Children’s Center will close its doors at the end of May.
“The church has plans for the site and the lease was up,” said Karen Barker, director of the center.
The licensed preschool serves children from 56 families, Barker said, mostly from Morgan Hill but also from San Martin and Gilroy.
The school operates from St. John the Divine Episcopal Church on Peak Avenue, though it has no formal connection with the church. The “housing crunch” arose when church members decided they needed the space for church activities.
“Last year the vestry voted to use the cottage for parish functions alone and decided to ask … the center to find another location,” said Father Phillip Cooke, St. John’s parish priest.
Barker said the school had a backer who purchased a new building but the rigorous provisions required to bring it up to code necessary for a preschool would have been too expensive. She said she decided then the school would have to close.
Jim Rowe, planning manager for the city, said school backers did present a plan.
“It was withdrawn,” he said, “because the parking lot, setbacks and flood protection improvements were prohibitive for them.”
“It’s terrible to lose another reasonably priced preschool in an area that just continues to grow,” said Diane Hill, a MHCC parent.
In the meantime, St. John’s is planning to install its own preschool on the church campus. It will open in fall 2003 and Father Cooke is anxious that the public not think the parish “kicked her out.”
“We did not even begin a formal preschool committee … until she (Barker) assured us that she was moving out on May 31 of this year,” he said. But he wishes them well.
“We hope and pray that Morgan Hill Children Center can go on and expand.”
