As Bartlett church ends preschool program, parents seek answers

Parents affected by the recently announced closing of the Precious Tots preschool program at St. Peter Damian Catholic Church in Bartlett say they’re still seeking clarity on the reasons behind the decision.

The church on Jan. 27 announced that after 11 years it will to close the preschool in May and encouraged parents to instead enroll their children at St. John the Evangelist Catholic School in neighboring Streamwood.

Some parents say the decision to end the program will create a hardship.

Molly Mares said that while one of her daughters is graduating from the school’s 4-year-old program in May, she hoped to move another into the 3-year-old program next year. Due to the late notice, many area preschools, including St. John the Evangelist’s, are already at or near capacity for next year, parents say.

Parents with older children in Elgin Area School District U-46 may also struggle with St. John’s having an earlier start time than U-46 schools.

But it’s also the quality of the Precious Tots program and its teachers that are being mourned, Mares added.

“Everybody loves this place,” she said. “Everyone feels at home. It’s because of the teachers and the program they created. It breaks our hearts for all of these teachers.”

Representatives of St. Peter Damian Church deferred comment to the Archdiocese of Chicago.

“The parish has made the difficult decision to stop hosting the preschool at the end of May,” the Archdiocese said in a written statement. “Parents have been offered direction to help them find another Catholic preschool.”

In his Jan. 27 letter to parishioners, Pastor Christopher Ciomek wrote, “While this decision was not made lightly, it is rooted in a desire to best serve our families and to support the vibrant preschool program at St. John the Evangelist.”

Mares said a parent meetup outside the church on Sunday was to have been followed by an informational meeting on Tuesday. But that meeting was canceled by an email sent by the church on Monday.

“We understand that transitions like these can be challenging, and we are here to support you,” the email from the parish office reads. “To assist you in your search for a new preschool, we encourage you to visit the St. John the Evangelist website at http://mystjohns.org/school. St. John the Evangelist is in the process of coordinating an open house exclusively for Precious Tots families.”