Parents and alumni urge Piedmont to keep Piedmont Play School at 401 Hampton, agendize full‑day proposal

Several parents, board members and alumni of Piedmont Play School (PPS) used the city’s public forum on Oct. 20 to press the City Council to agendize and adopt a proposal to expand licensed full‑day child care at 401 Hampton.

Samantha Nobles Bloch, a member of the PPS executive board, told the council the school’s plan would expand early‑learning access “at no additional cost to the city” and asked the council to take three actions: agendize the phased partnership proposal, extend PPS’s use of 401 Hampton while the city evaluates it, and endorse the proposal’s core elements to honor donors and reduce or offset rent. “The proposal that Piedmont Place School has submitted addresses every need that has been stated by the city and does so at no additional cost to the city,” she said.

Other speakers described PPS’s history and community role. Michael Feder, speaking for his wife Sandy Chin Feder (the proposal author), said PPS has served local families for 25 years and that donors, parents and longtime teachers are deeply invested in the program. “All aboard. The train is leaving the station,” he said, urging prompt engagement from city staff. Michelle Ritchie, a PPS board member, described the board’s efforts to identify solutions and said the short timeline for changing the Hampton property use had been disruptive to the program’s operations and supply inventory.

Speakers noted key program details contained in the materials submitted to the council: PPS already holds a California Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing Title 22 license, the proposed transition costs would be covered by tuition, fundraising and grants, and the proposal aims to deliver licensed full‑day care without requiring the city to hire staff or make a capital commitment. Multiple parents and alumni recounted the cooperative model and long community ties built around the preschool.

The remarks were submitted during the public forum; the council did not take formal action during the meeting on the PPS requests.

Community relevance and next steps: Speakers asked the council to agendize the PPS proposal for a forthcoming meeting and to allow PPS continued use of 401 Hampton during the evaluation. The council did not announce a specific follow‑up date during the Oct. 20 meeting.