Bright Star Learning Center lease amended as owners and parents urge district to seek alternatives

Bright Star Learning Center’s future at the Glenview site drew an emotional round of public comment at the Ocean View School District Board of Trustees meeting on July 14, as the program’s owner and parents urged the board to reconsider a one‑year renewal and a proposed rent increase.

Judy Coglianese, owner of Bright Star, told the board she had been notified the tenancy would end and disputed messages that she had ‘quit.’ “I did not quit,” she said, adding that the district offered only a one‑year extension and had proposed raising her monthly rent by about 25% from approximately $26,000 to roughly $32,000–$33,000. Coglianese said staff and families would be devastated if the center closed after decades of service.

Parent Cindy (Cynthia) Carrillo said her son has attended Bright Star since infancy and described the program as “critical” to emotional and developmental continuity for children; she asked the board to reconsider nonrenewal. A longtime Bright Star employee later told the board staff had sought other district sites but encountered conflicting information and said the prospect of only a one‑year lease made enrolling new infants and hiring new staff ethically and practically difficult.

The board said the district did not initiate eviction. Acting Board President Singer told the public the district had been notified in late June by the tenant that Bright Star intended to conclude operations and vacate the site; she said the amendment before the board included a reduced lease rate for July and August because of that notice and that the district would have welcomed a longer renewal if Bright Star had sought one. “We were notified this tenancy was being finalized,” she said, adding that no development decisions have been made and that community input would be sought if the district proceeds with property changes.

The board approved Amendment No. 1 to the amended and reinstated lease agreement between Ocean View School District and Bright Star Learning Center by voice vote, recorded as passing 3–0 with two absences. After public comment the board directed Assistant Superintendent Farrow to meet with Bright Star representatives, determine whether alternative options exist, and report back to the board.

Why it matters: Bright Star provides daily childcare and long‑term employment for staff with decades of local service; an abrupt end to tenancy could disrupt child care arrangements for families and force specialized staff layoffs. The board’s approval of the lease amendment, combined with a district‑directed follow‑up, leaves open the possibility of further options but also formalizes the short‑term lease status.

The board asked staff to return with updated information after conversations with Bright Star; no final development or closure decision was made at the meeting.