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Casa Maria's families prepare a move to two new locations
Los Gatos, Willow Glen churches to make room
Shortage of preschools
By Jason Baker
Parents of preschoolers from Casa Maria Montessori School left in limbo by the school's closing soon will have new options, if plans for two new preschool sites go according to schedule.
Casa Maria closed the doors on May 21 after 29 years of operation. The announcement by the school's board of directors came as an unhappy surprise to parents, teachers and staff. The school was housed at the convent of the Sisters of Holy Names of Mary and Jesus at 200 Prospect Ave.
In response to the closing, school officials conducted a property search to find a suitable relocation site for the school. Officials found a number of smaller sites that were not suitable for their needs, but determined they might be suitable for a preschool.
"That's how we were introduced to the Faith Lutheran location in Los Gatos," said Joanne Varni, a parent and member of Mariposa Montessori, the nonprofit organization working to create a new community preschool.
"We discovered that there were no suitable replacements in the vicinity that had openings," Varni said. "Santa Clara County has experienced the devastating impact of insufficient preschools to meet the need of families, and the town of Los Gatos has been no exception. Public and preschools are at capacity, with parents seeking enrollment in other cities, or being forced to have unlicensed or less-than-quality preschool experiences for their children."
The Casa Maria closure displaced approximately 152 families, and had an additional 500 names on the waiting list for future enrollment. In addition, Hillbrook School in Los Gatos recently closed its preschool, displacing 37 students. In response, Mariposa organizers decided to pursue opening their own school, which Varni called "a true grass-roots movement."
Planners determined through research that no other suitable sites for a preschool existed in Los Gatos. Officials began discussions with Faith Lutheran Church, and in May were given the go-ahead to apply for a permit.
In conjunction with establishing a site in Los Gatos, organizers located one in the Willow Glen area at Christ the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.
"We have all of the necessary permits for [the Willow Glen] site and plan to start with our upgrade plans in early July," Varni said. School planners are formatting detailed plans for the site and forming a construction committee.
"The objective of targeting two sites was to ensure we would have a place to go this fall. We are now aggressively pursuing the residents of Willow Glen to make them aware of our new preschool," she said. "The sole intention of the people dedicating their time, energy and money to this project is to create a quality preschool that can be enjoyed by the entire community."
Mariposa organizers applied for a permit from Los Gatos planners and are scheduled for the Planning Commission agenda on July 28. Parents and teachers also have granted an open invitation to residents in the Faith Lutheran neighborhood to meet on July 7 for fellowship and discussion of the school's plans.
While Mariposa can't offer teaching positions for the Los Gatos location until the site is confirmed, officials have informed teachers that the San Jose location is a go, said Cindy Acker, director of Casa Maria Montessori. She has been asked to head Mariposa.
Teachers' salaries will come from the revenue of the school, she said. About 12 teachers will be required to cover both sites. Mariposa officials have applied for a license to allow 50 students at a time, 3 to 6 years old, in morning and afternoon classes.
To help fund their efforts, officials raised $6,000 at the Los Gatos town garage sale, some of which has been used for permit fees and applications. The school also is conducting a "Buy a Tile" fundraising program that individuals, establishments and corporations can take part in.
Additionally, Casa Maria board members (the same board that governs the California Province Administration for the Sister of the Holy Names) have given Mariposa the opportunity to purchase some of the materials and furniture the school had been using, which Varni said should save organizers a great deal of money.
Mariposa plans to open this fall, barring any planning setbacks.
The decision to close Casa Maria was based on a number of factors relating to the growing need of the religious order to provide housing and care for its aging members. With the convent's growing focus on aging, new regulations for operators of preschools were forcing the sisters to use more human resources than they had available, according to officials.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
