When Berkeley Carroll closes its Child Care Center at the end of his school year, 57 1-3 year-olds will be deprived of what has been a very successful early childhood experience. This is a loss for them and their parents who love the center’s approach and hours. There is really nothing else like it in the Slope.
So why did Berkeley Carroll decide to close its doors?
My assessment after talking to someone familiar with the situation is that it just didn’t make sense economically or otherwise.
A little history. Until nine years ago, Methodist Hospital ran the Child Care Center and it was called the Methodist Hospital Child Care Center. The building is owned by Methodist and the center served the community, as well as employees of Methodist Hospital.
Nine years ago, Methodist Hospital wanted out of the day care business and Berkeley Carroll, a private pre-k through 12th grade private school decided to take it over. Methodist gave Berkeley Carroll a five year lease at a below market rate and the school was good to go.
Obviously, Berkeley Carroll did an exceptional job running the program. Every year people line up on a specific day to apply for admission to this program for 1-3 year olds. There are only 57 spots and even at the cost of $24,000 per year, there is no shortage of people in Park Slope who are willing to pay for it.
Four years ago, the lease was up and Berkeley Carroll wasn’t offered another long term lease by Methodist Hospital. Clearly, Methodist had plans for this building.
At the time, officials at Berkeley Carroll began to rethink the idea of being in the day care business. Not surprisingly, the school makes no money on the child care center as running expenses are quite high. For four years, it seems, the school knew that it was highly likely that the school would eventually close. Yet, they remained committed to providing this service in the meantime.
Thus the charge that they should have said something. But what could they have said: We’re thinking of closing the center but we don’t know when.
Push came to shove when Methodist Hospital told Berkeley Carroll last summer that they wanted their building back. Bingo, the decision, which Berkeley Carroll officials had been struggling with for years was made.
It seems with heavy hearts and a spread sheet.
I happen to know quite a few people on the board over at Berkeley Carroll (though I did not speak to them for this article). These are not big, bad corporate types who only think of the bottom line. But it is their job to do what is prudent both financially and philosophically for the school.
Yes, they knew they were providing a service to 57 families willing to pay top dollar for child care.
Contrary to some accusations, they explored many options to keep the school open. But over time it became clear that it just didn’t make sense economically or otherwise for the school, which is primarily pre-K through 12th, to do day care. And contrary to some claims, the child care center is not a feeder school for the 4-year-old program at BC.
In researching options to keep the school open at another location, school officials found that the costs were astronomical for a part of the school that is not a money maker to begin with. There’s the cost of
–costly real estate
–renovation
–retrofitting to make the school work spatially
–costs to meet licensing requirements
–salaries
–supplies
–and more
The board, after much hand wringing I am told, decided it was time to do the inevitable. In a sense, they did what Methodist Hospital didn’t do 9 years ago. At that time, Methodist was able to pass it on to Berkeley Carroll—and avoid the negative publicity such a closure would have generated. Back then, Berkeley Carroll was probably viewed as the heroic saviors of the Methodist Child Care Center.
My question now is this: if there is such a great demand for a child care center of this kind for 1-3 year olds, why hasn’t anyone else come forward?
Probably for the same reasons that Berkeley Carroll wanted out of the day care biz. Yet, isn’t it possible that some entity might be in a position to provide these much needed services to this community?
Obviously, any cost analysis will reveal what BC found out: opening a child care center is very expensive. It would take an institution or an existing school with a big pockets, a commitment to early childhood education and vision to take on a project of this kind.
Some parents have discussed taking over the school and it will be interesting to see what happens on that front.
There has been much discussion of this situation on Park Slope Parents, in local newspapers and even the New York Times. There’s been a lot of bitterness and accusations that Berkeley Carroll misled parents and betrayed their responsibility to this community.
While this is obviously an enormously frustrating experience for the parents of the 1 and 2 year olds, who hoped that their children would continue at the school, it must be said that the school did give the parents a heads-up in time for them to apply to other schools.
I have also heard that the head of lower school admissions at Berkeley Carroll has been working hard to help parents place their children elsewhere.
Finally, when a private institution decides that it wants to go out of business or change direction, it is the right of that institution. In the same way that a parent might decide not to continue at a particular school.
Okay, time for the positive spin. Maybe this whole controversy demonstrates what an engaged and vocal community we live in. Seventh Avenue has always been a space for free discussion, dissemination of information and gossip. Now add to that blogs and list services like Park Slope Parents. In sum, this very democratic community suffused with avenues for free expression gets to dissect everything in a free and hopefully intelligent way.
Sure, some feelings get hurt and mud gets flung this way and that. Perhaps, the lesson is this: It’s important to read between the lines, ask questions, and not be too quick to point fingers. There’s always a lot of gray in most situations.
And that makes life equally interesting and wholly frustrating.
What is so grey about not telling parent truthfully?
Parents were told in October only after a real estate agent leaked the information during a brownstone open house, and they pressed the new Head of the Child Care Center.
I don’t believe the following statement in the above OTBK is true:
“Push came to shove when Methodist Hospital told Berkeley Carroll last summer that they wanted their building back. Bingo, the decision, which Berkeley Carroll officials had been struggling with for years was made.”
The hospital never told BC this. It was BC that said they weren’t asking for a lease renewal. The representative from Methodist told all of Brooklyn this. BC has never said that there was no option to stay open for two more years. Please re-read old blogs, and the information on Park Slope Parents, I know there is a lot to read but the quote from Methodist is in there.
The Headmistress admitted that the center was operating in the black.
The missing piece of this argument is simply that BC made a gross error and refuses to admit it or rectify it. George Bush does the same thing, stand by your decisions, right or wrong.
When parents toured the school last year they were shown all three floors and told that if they decided to put in an application and if they were early enough their child could be there for the three years. The parents were not told of the lease issue, the parents were not informed of the potential that they would have to scramble in early October. BC lied by ommission. This is not a used car dealership where you are told that a particular car is available, and then, oops, it’s really not. The headmaster, Robert Vitalo said a number of times, both in various phone conversations and at a meeting with the parents and faculty after everyone was informed of the closing, that the way in which this was handled was a “mistake.” When asked when the decision was made Vitalo originally said the he couldn’t give an exact date, but sometime in September. This is a lie. He and the executive Board, or at least the President of the Board of Trustees made this decision in June, or earlier. They then did not inform the rest of the Board until the fall. Some Board members were not initially aware of how the school was handling this. The way this was handled does not fit with the image of a school that has recently instituted an honor code. Yes, they could have, and should have done was been upfront and honest with the incoming parents.
The Head of Admission’s help consisted of giving out lists of other institutions that could be found in a google search.
Insofar as having months to make alternative plans – parents are not looking for jobs in an open makret, They are dealing with very specific deadlines for tours and applications for placement of the most precious people in their lives.
Parents are paying $24,000 a year to have their 1-3 year olds at this Center, leading this reader to conclude that most of them understand capitalism. One wonders how much lead time they give an employee who has to, for whatever reason, be let go. Probably a lot less than the months they’re getting to scramble for alternative arrangements.