The historic Weekday School housed within the Riverside Church announced it is set to close after 95 years of servicing young children. As reported by CBS News New York, "The decision to close the School was extremely difficult and only made after careful consideration over several years. A number of factors, including free pre-k and declining enrollment, have significantly impacted the ability of the School to continue and to fulfill its mission," according to the Church's statement.
Parents who were caught off guard by the news have begun rallying for the preservation of an institution that has been more than just a school to many. "It's not just a school for them. It's a home," Erin Amato, a mother of two daughters attending the school, told CBS News New York. A Change.org petition has been launched and has amassed over 500 signatures from those seeking to reverse this decision.
The school's closure is said to exacerbate existing childcare shortages in Morningside Heights, acknowledged as a childcare desert by New York state. This area is reportedly experiencing ratios as high as more than ten children per available daycare slot, thus heightening anxiety among parents about finding suitable education and care alternatives for their little ones. Echoing this concern, Amato also highlighted to CBS News New York that the timing of the closure coincides with admission processes for other institutions and could disproportionately harm families dependent on financial assistance.
Meanwhile, details behind the church's decision were elaborated in the Columbia Spectator. Jean Schmidt, chair of the Riverside Church council, cited long-term under-enrollment and the impact of universal pre-K on private preschool demand as key reasons for shuttering the doors. She ensured that the church's financial risk from its acquisition and subsequent sale of McGiffert Hall at a loss of $8.5 million were in no way tied to the decision to close the school.
The Weekday School has enjoyed a historical relationship with the neighboring Columbia University, with many families being referred to the facility by the University Office of Work/Life. The closure represents another blow for families like Sera Yoshino and Omar Tuffaha's, who had already transitioned to the Weekday School after Columbia closed Red Balloon, a West Harlem preschool. Following the unsettling pattern of closures, Yoshino described the experience to the Columbia Spectator, “I would use the word ‘depleting.’”
