Church of the Saviour Co-op Nursery School has closed

Church of the Saviour.

On March 6, the Church of the Saviour Co-operative Nursery School posted a statement on its Facebook page announcing that it would be closing in May. [The Church of the Saviour Early Learning Center, a separate preschool at the church, will remain open.]

The church notified the co-op preschool that it wanted to use the space for other programs. The preschool’s Facebook post stated that the preschool board did not have enough time to find a new location before the critical registration period for the 2017–18 school year.

When contacted, neither church nor co-op preschool representatives were willing to comment.

The Church of the Saviour Co-operative Nursery School, founded in 1955, had been operating in the Heights community for more than six decades, and served 3–5 year olds. It graduated its final class on May 18.

As a co-operative, a volunteer board comprising the parents of students ran the preschool. With new students and their parents coming and going every few years for the last 62 years, the preschool impacted multiple generations and countless numbers of Heights residents.

A Church of the Saviour representative, citing its “primary concern” to protect the privacy of the families involved with the nursery school, said the church was not willing to comment on the specific reason it decided to close the school.

Colleen Walsh, president of Church of the Saviour Co-operative Nursery School, emphasized that there is “no bad blood” between the church and the nursery school. Walsh added that her experience with the co-op model that the nursery school used was “beautiful and amazing.”

Rev. Andy Call of Church of the Saviour described the parents that have been involved with the co-op preschool over the years as “delightful.”

The March 6 Facebook post by the co-op preschool read in part: “We are grateful to have been a part of the Cleveland Heights community for over 60 years. To all parents in our area, we wish you the very best luck in finding a preschool that is a good fit for you and your children.”

Connor O'Brien

Connor O'Brien is a senior majoring in communication and minoring in English at John Carroll University. He is currently an intern for the Heights Observer.

Read More on Schools
Volume 10, Issue 6, Posted 10:24 AM, 05.30.2017