Abrupt closure of Catholic preschool raises questions among parents
Feb. 8—The abrupt closure of a Catholic preschool in Bakersfield has left parents scrambling to find an alternative option for their children as they search for answers about why the school would shut down with little warning.
Late last week, the Rev. Hector Lopez informed staff and parents of St. Philip's Preschool the institution would shut its doors permanently Thursday. The reasons cited for the closure included rising operating costs, the impacts of the pandemic, insufficient personnel, concerns from parents and a recent state inspection.
The announcement stunned both the parents and staff, who had no advance warning there were problems.
"When we got to school to drop off the kids that morning, the teachers informed us, and they were beside themselves and very sad," said Megan Pierce, the mother of a 4-year-old girl who attends the preschool on Stockdale Highway. "I just started tearing up. It's just crazy. (I felt) anger and confusion, and felt like we were blindsided, and that the teachers were, too, and that it was unfair."
A little digging by the parents uncovered several of the reasons cited for the closure were questionable at best. The state inspection, which occurred Jan. 21, revealed no issues with the southwest Bakersfield school.
One of the parents who complained said she and others were concerned about the school's administrators, not the teachers or instruction being given to students. Carole Stevens, whose 4-year-old son attends the school, said she spoke up after the Christmas program was canceled due to a lack of communication with church officials.
"Parents were upset about how Hector was running the preschool; nothing was a concern about the preschool itself," Stevens said. "There were no problems prior to him coming in November."
Furthermore, preschool secretary Mary Fimbres says she was fired on Friday for refusing to send a letter to parents written by Lopez announcing the imminent closure of the school. She says she was let go after her first face-to-face meeting with Lopez, which occurred when he informed staff the school would be shut down.
"After he left, there was discussion among the staff, and a decision was made that we were not responsible for disseminating this information that we were just receiving, and how inappropriate that was," Fimbres said. She added that she informed Lopez of the staff's decision. "I was let go the next day, although I'm sure he did not state why."
Questions to St. Philip the Apostle Church were directed to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno, which oversees both the church and the school. A spokesman for the diocese, Chandler Marquez, reiterated most of the reasons for the school closure, citing rising operational costs and staffing issues. But Marquez could not speak in detail about the school's financial state or reveal specific complaints from parents. Nor did he go into detail on the staffing issues supposedly challenging the preschool.
Marquez added in an email the diocese had received no complaints from parents about Lopez's role in the preschool.
He said in a statement the school was committed to providing children enrolled in the school with memorable final days and directed parents to the Office of Catholic Education for further assistance.
After operating for nearly 40 years, St. Philip's Preschool had around 90 students enrolled. The school year had been set to end in May, but the school's closure leaves parents searching for additional childcare and educational options.
For now, the answers remain hard to come by.
"My child specifically has asked if she'll still get to see her friends," Pierce said. "She just wrote a letter to her teachers this morning that she dictated, saying, 'I'm really sorry that your school is closing.' Of course, there's a little confusion. Everyone is going to be OK — but it is sad that they are going to miss out on kind of a big year and memories."
You can reach Sam Morgen at 661-395-7415. You may also follow him on Twitter @smorgenTBC.
