Parents, grandparents protest loss of Bright Beginnings pre-school

By Rosemary K. Otzman
Independent Editor
About 11 parents, grandparents, and others supporting Bright Beginnings tuition pre-school sat in the audience for more than two hours at Monday’s School Board meeting until some of the group were allowed to speak on the subject.
Letters had just been received by parents from the school district that said Bright Beginnings would not be part of the district next fall.
One parent told the board, “My heart sank when I got the letter.”
After five people spoke in support of the tuition pre-school, the board agreed to discuss the issue at its next work/study session at 7 p.m., Monday, June 16 at the administration building.
Board President Brent Mikulski said the decision wasn’t made by the board, but by the superintendent and his cabinet, so discussing it wouldn’t change anything.
But, Trustee Scott Russell wanted the board to discuss it.
Vice President Martha Toth protested, saying discussing it would give “false hope” to those who support the program.
School Supt. Michael Van Tassel said he saw no problem with discussing the issue.
The paid pre-school didn’t have enough students to continue, so it was closing because it was losing money, according to school information.
Karen Mida spoke as a grandma and community member, protesting the elimination of tuition preschool. She also was a longtime educator in the Van Buren Public Schools.
Mida said by throwing the tuition preschool out, when parents are willing to pay and drive their students to school, the district is telling them all to “Go to Bethany!”
She said she truly loves Vesta Losen, who runs the Bethany program, but after teaching them through preschool, “she preps her kids to go to Bethany for Kindergarten and then they are prepped to go to Keystone.”
Keystone Charter Academy in Sumpter Township has taken more than 200 students from the Van Buren Public Schools.
“You don’t market!” Mida said to the board, adding when she was principal at ECDC they marketed the school district. (ECDC is the acronym for the Early Childhood Development program.)
She said the Van Buren Public schools need to go to the daycares in the area and market the program by spending a little bit of time to get the three and four year olds.
“With a little bit of care, you’d have them for 14 years and you’d get the state funds all that time,” Mida said.
She said by closing the Bright Beginnings program they are sending the children into the arms of Bethany and Keystone.
“I’m asking for reconsideration and some marketing,” Mida said. “We’ve got a good thing going. Be a part of it.”
The district has free, income-based pre-school programs, Head Start and Great Start, but now would have nothing for middle-income parents who are willing to pay.
Leah Gionotti said her family moved to the Van Buren district from Downriver and her 4 year old entered Bright Beginnings and flourished. She was planning to take her younger child to Bright Beginnings when the child turned three.
“My heart sank when I got the letter,” she said. “I don’t know where to take him. This has cast a shadow over the school district… I can’t say for sure I’ll continue in this district… I would love to see you reconsider.”
She said she left a community with a plethora of programs.
A father spoke, saying his daughter graduated from ECDC and it was an easy step for her to go to Edgemont. She was able to have the same teacher three years in a row, which he thought was wonderful.
He said he thought his son would be able to have the same experience, but now wouldn’t.
“You’re worried about your test scores? Take care of your three and four-year-olds!” he said.
“We got conflicting reports on Bright Beginnings,” said Treasurer Sherry Frazier.
She agreed with Mida that Bethany Daycare is a direct route to the charter school.
“When they get in that system, they go right along to the charter school,” Frazier said. “I agree. We really should market that [Bright Beginnings].”
She said the board was told no other district has Bright Beginnings.
“Hey, let us be the one that has it,” she said, adding students can come to Van Buren for that program.
Frazier pointed out the district just laid off 12 people and so they have the money from that to use for the program.
“One of the biggest things we’re competing against is Bethany,” Frazier said.