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Parents and board press council for help to keep Hearts and Hands preschool open
Summary
Hearts and Hands board president Mary Anne Salinger told the council the preschool has secured short‑term funding through June but needs increased enrollment (a commitment by May 1) and a permanent location after the church’s rent forgiveness ends; parents reported raising nearly $40,000 and council offered conditional support but took no action.
Board president Mary Anne Salinger and parents asked the Calistoga City Council on March 10 to help preserve the Hearts and Hands preschool, which the board said has funding only through the end of the fiscal year and needs a sustainable enrollment and a site to continue operations.
“We have been able to get funding to get us through the end of June,” Salinger said, asking the council to consider similar pathways previously granted to other community providers if the school can secure enrollment and a location. She said the board needs a commitment of families by May 1 to plan for the fall.
Parents said they are actively fundraising and recruiting. Kathleen Costa Butts told the council that parents and allies had raised close to $40,000 since late January and were continuing outreach to bring more families into the program.
Salinger described the program’s enrollment composition: she said Hearts and Hands serves about 25 children daily when counting transitional‑kindergarten placements shifting through partnerships with the school district (Salinger reported 15 TK students plus 10 preschool students in the morning). The board also has negotiated temporary rent forgiveness with the hosting church, but that arrangement ends at the end of June and the group must identify a longer‑term site if it continues.
Council members praised the parents’ and board’s efforts and expressed a willingness to explore targeted, short‑term support. Vice Mayor Gifft and others suggested possible stop‑gap help through the city’s community enrichment grant or exploring a professional services agreement similar to the Boys & Girls Club arrangement, but all council members emphasized that no formal action would be taken until Hearts and Hands returns with clearer enrollment and facility commitments.
The council directed staff to stay engaged and to consider next steps once the preschool provides enrollment numbers and a site plan; no funding or contract was approved at the March 10 meeting.
