Parents chafe at eviction of preschool
Though the Agassiz Cooperative Preschool seems resigned to its forced move, resentment lingers among parents who want the school to remain in the same green nook it has occupied for the last 35 years.
In the spring of 2006, Lesley University announced that as part of its expansion plans in Porter Square, it would purchase and renovate the former church where the popular preschool leases the basement. The university also said it would construct a building on the 11,000-square-foot lot the preschool uses for a garden and playground, and initially set the eviction date for this fall.
"They don't want to be throwing us out," said Tracey Kaplan, director of the preschool, "but they need the space."
After pleas from surprised parents, Lesley agreed to push the eviction date to August 2008. Despite the extension, many harbor hard feelings toward Lesley.
Lesley, which has a strong early -education program, has long sent student-teachers to work at the preschool. When the preschool's board learned the church was going up for sale, said Melissa Glenn Haber, whose husband served on the board at the time, it approached Lesley, thinking it would be an ideal partnership.
"We thought we had an understanding, though nothing was ever said," said Glenn Haber, a Somerville writer whose children attended Agassiz. "We were not disabused of the notion that their education school would be occupying the church building" and the preschool could remain.
Lesley did not announce right away that it would relocate its arts school to Porter Square because it was uncertain of the move, said spokesman Bill Doncaster. The arts school is expected to take up the space in the renovated church and the new building.
"It was a huge shock in negotiations when we learned the time frame," Glenn Haber said. "We thought we would have at least five years."
Now they have slightly more than a year, with few possibilities on the market. "We've seen hundreds of properties," said Kaplan, "but nothing suitable." Either buildings are not safe and accessible, or they are too expensive.
Doncaster said the university has worked with the preschool, extending the original eviction date and sending representatives from its architectural firm to assess spaces for the preschool and estimate the cost of renovations.
Glenn Haber said the preschool needs to find a new space by November. "That's when enrollment for the next year begins," she said. "You can't enroll another class of children if you don't know where you'll be."
The Agassiz preschool paid little rent during its tenancy in the church basement, said Kaplan. Even after Lesley bought the church in 2006, the university kept the rent to $2,500 a month for the 3,000-square-foot space and the enormous yard.
"The yard is a magical place," said Paula Woolley, a parent of former Agassiz students. "There's a tricycle route and a garden for the children to work in and a hill built by the parents."
Kaplan emphasized the benefits of a cooperative school. "Parents are required to participate in the school," she said. "It feels like an extended family."
"Unfortunately, the school is not part of a community rich enough to save it or so poor that it qualifies for charity," Glenn Haber said. "It's in a tough spot."
