Cold Spring church operated day care for 57 years
The Community Nursery School and Learning Center operated by the First Presbyterian Church of Philipstown will close in June after 57 years, in large part because of the loss of 4-year-olds to prekindergarten programs launched by public schools with state aid.
Community Nursery opened in 1968 at the Cold Spring church on Academy Street as an “affordable alternative,” the school said in a news release. It was directed for much of its history by Rosemary Rodino, whose 38-year tenure ended with her retirement in 2023.
“We are grateful for the rich history of the school and the efforts made by students, teachers, parents and church volunteers for helping the school to thrive for so long,” the Rev. Brian Merritt, the pastor at First Presbyterian, said in a statement. “This was a very tough and emotional decision for us.” The Sunday morning service on June 8 will be dedicated to the school.
Because of state regulations, Community Nursery operates for just under three hours in the mornings. It considered expanding to a full-day program but found it too expensive to comply with the licensing requirements, said Laura Reid, who serves on the oversight committee for the school. She said the school has 16 students enrolled but that 10 will turn 4 by Dec. 1, making them eligible for pre-K programs such as those newly offered by Haldane and Garrison.
“We’re applauding the fact that Universal pre-K has come to the community, but unfortunately it means that the Community Nursery School is not viable,” she said. “We would be losing most of our 4-year-olds.”
St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Garrison has a preschool that has operated for 64 years, since 1960. Like the Community Nursery, it runs for just under three hours in the morning. It has 24 students but saw a dramatic drop in 4-year-olds when the Garrison School across the street launched a pre-K program two years ago, said Betsy Alberty, its director.
The school, which has space for 30 children, had 14 four-year-olds then and now has five. In response, St. Philip’s began accepting more 2-year-olds. “We had to be flexible,” Alberty said.
Ilana Friedman, the director of the preschool at the Beacon Hebrew Alliance, said pre-K has not had such a dramatic effect because all but one of its 13 students are 2 or 3 years old.
The rise of pre-K at public schools has impacted licensed day cares, as well. In years past at Stacy’s House, a preschool operated by Stacy Labriola at her home in Philipstown, as many as half of the children were 4. Today, only two of 16 are that old. “It’s free — you can’t compete with that,” she said of pre-K programs.
My son went to the Community Nursery School in the late 1990s. Ms. Rodino and Scozzafava had created a safe and loving community of preschoolers all getting to know each other and a new world. It was a wonderful place. Sad to see it go.
This is so sad to hear. My children and my grandchildren all attended and received such wonderful care and made great friends. The staff was the best. [via Facebook]
My brother and I attended the first year and one of my sons attended, too. [via Facebook]
All four of my kids went through and got a great head start. We still have the handprint plates. [via Facebook]
My three oldest children attended under Rosemary Rodino’s leadership and have wonderful memories and lifelong friends from those days. My youngest grandson is there now with Tara and Julianna and having an equally wonderful experience. I’ve subbed in the 4-year-old class and seen firsthand how much fun the kids have and how deeply the teachers care for their students.
We are heartbroken that my grandson and the rest of the fall babies who aren’t ready for pre-kindergarten won’t be able to spend next year there. [via Facebook]
My oldest daughter attended 32 years ago. I still have all the artwork and put it out every holiday. We will miss this place. [via Facebook]
I never worried about leaving my 3-year-olds them with Rosemary. She was so dedicated to the Community Nursery School and all the children who walked through that door. It was another of Cold Spring’s special places. [via Facebook]
Your story unintentionally approaches Onion-level absurdity in its apparent position that the arrival of Universal Pre-K in Philipstown is sad news. In fact, by any measure, free high-quality childcare is a public good that benefits children, families and the local economy. While it is appropriate to mark the end of an institution that has existed in a community for over 50 years, The Current paints an absurd picture in which Universal Pre-K is a menace to the community. In the article, an irrelevant discussion of “state regulations” that make it difficult for private pre-K programs to offer more than three hours of care per day is used to imply that public Universal Pre-K has an unfair advantage on the “free market” and is forcing “community” (that is, private) pre-K programs to close. In fact, the reason that Philipstown families with 4-year-old children are opting for public rather than private pre-K is that even “affordable” private pre-K options are not affordable for most working families. The median household income in Philipstown is $133,672 annually. According to the state Comptroller, last year in New York state, full-time childcare costs ranged between $16,000 and $26,000 annually. Perhaps a better local angle on the long-overdue advent of Universal Pre-K in Philipstown would be a story profiling a few families whose children are enrolled in Philipstown’s new Universal Pre-K program. I am willing to bet this would paint a very different –- and much more accurate –- picture of the impact of Universal Pre-K on… Read more »
I thought The Current did a great job with this piece — it did not at all read as an indictment of Universal Pre-K, but, rather, shed light on another angle of the complex issue of childcare affordability.
While the arrival of Universal Pre-K is indeed a boon to many families, it appears that it comes at the cost of the loss of flexible, affordable, part-time programs such as the Community Nursery School. This is a real loss for some families.
One can be generally in favor of certain proposals and policies while still acknowledging the reality of their downstream effects. Engaging in objective discussion of trade-offs is really the only way we solve complex problems. Good job to The Current for doing so.
The Community Nursery School and Learning Center has been a cherished preschool and center of our community for 57 years. We have shared millions of magical moments and unforgettable memories with hundreds of children and their families, who gave their love and support in amazing ways. It will forever live in our hearts, and we hope yours, as the “Happiest Place in Town.”
Rodino directed the Community Nursery School for 38 years until her retirement in 2023.