EDMONDS — Two years ago, preschool teacher Cindy Fabian was busily calling every church listed in the phonebook trying to save her school. Now, she has to do the same thing all over again.
Officials at Esperance Child Development Center (ECDC), a school based in the basement of Esperance Baptist Church in Edmonds, received a letter in December informing them that the church only has enough funds to support the nonprofit preschool for another six months to a year. Since then, Fabian said, she’s had a few leads but has yet to find an appropriate building to house the school.
“The church has put the money forth to help us and this breaks my heart,” Fabian said. “It wasn’t easy for them to say, ‘Find another place.’”
Finding another place means locating a facility that has features to support a school, such as pull fire alarms and a sprinkler system.
The preschool came to Esperance Baptist after originally being located in the bottom floor of the former Shoreline Christian Church for 25 years. The move was a result of Shoreline Christian Church merging with Northwest Church, also located in Shoreline. A future move would be due to a loss of church funds and significant drops in attendance after both church pastors left during the summer.
“I can’t believe we’re in the same situation,” said Fabian, who has worked as the preschool’s co-teacher for 19 years. “We’re sad for the church, too. They don’t know what to do, either.”
On March 30, ECDC held a silent auction, where Fabian said as many alumni as there are current students attended. The event raised a total of $2,400 for the school.
“Hopefully, the money would go to starting costs, moving costs or severance pay if we can’t find another place,” Fabian said.
Shereen Allen became familiar with the preschool when she enrolled her then 2-year-old daughter in the program more than seven years ago. Her 5-year-old son is currently enrolled at the school.
“It’s been a joy,” Allen said. “I’ve chosen this school over others because they help (the kids) grow when they’re ready.”
Allen helps teach science and appreciates that ECDC teachers allow the children’s interests to help guide the program. She remembers years when train tracks would cover the floor, kids would make their own space suits or raise butterflies. She is helping the children learn the differences between liquids and solids by making ice cream in coffee cans.
“They were just beginning to get their feet under them again and now this,” Allen said. “These ladies have taught me a lot about faith, they’re an institution. I won’t question that good will and faith is out there.”
Esperance Church is also home to the Esperance International Christian Learning Center, a church-related ministry with close ties to the Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) program.
“We’re all affected, but in our case we cannot operate without a church base,” said Deborah Hope Lazero, principal of the learning center. “There may be some slight change in our identity but our school will still have to be related to a church.”
Lazero said the school’s ministry council and parents of those attending the school are willing to give the church more financial support for continued use of the facility. “We’re praying that we won’t have to leave,” Lazero said.
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