Popular preschool will fold its tent despite appeals to the T.O. City Council

Parents and kids recently lined up to urge the City Council to save $190,000 and keep a partnership with a successful, private, nationally accredited child care operator. They came away disappointed.

The council voted 4 to 1, with Councilmember Claudia Bill-de la Peña dissenting, to not renew the lease of Roots and Wings after June 2009 and to allow a California First 5 Neighborhood for Learning program to take over operations beginning July 1.

For about 10 years, Roots and Wings has leased a city-owned site at 110 S. Conejo School Road. Owner Sherri Laboon owns another day care site on Calle Tulipan.

Speaking directly to Laboon, Councilmember Andy Fox praised the child care owner before he voted not to renew her lease.

"I have not heard anyone say anything other than very good things about the program you offer, so I don't think that anybody's questioning the level of professionalism you've provided for the kids for over a decade now," said Fox.

The council agreed with finance director Candis Hong's recommendations to approve lease and operating agreements with Conejo Valley Unified School District and make the district the receiver of grants from the city's statesubsidized preschool contracts along with $190,000 from general funds for interim staffing, equipment and supplies. The city will also grant Neighborhood for Learning $125,000 for startup expenses to replace old or missing equipment and supplies.

"Why would the city spend $190,000 to change something that's great for something that we don't know what it is?" asked parent Yevgeniya BelenkayaShulman.

She added that people spend years on the waiting list to get their children into the Roots and Wings facility. Schullman said she was six months pregnant when she put her yet-to-be-born child on the waiting list.

"If the council members have been told that this has been a cash cow and there's all this money laying around that's going to a private operator, you've been misinformed," Laboon said.

"It's a better use of taxpayer funds to have a nonprofit operate the city facility," said Mayor Jacqui Irwin.

Neighborhood for Learning (NFL) is expected to reinvest profits into the operation. NFL in Ventura County was developed after a 1998 state ballot measure known as "First 5 California" became law and provided tobacco tax money to be used for school readiness programs.

"I know from the testimony I have heard Roots and Wings is an excellent program that has been working quite well," said Bill-de la Peña.

Saving $50,000 a year isn't an adequate reason to change operators, she said.

"I don't see an overwhelming need to switch operators right now," Bill-de la Peña said.

She described NFL as a great organization, but she wanted to wait until it could get its national accreditation.

The nonprofit Neighborhood for Learning program is managed and financed by CVUSD as it currently operates part-time child care and preschool programs for young children. It also offers parenting classes. The new lease would be an expansion of its programs.

"I think it's the best way to provide the best possible care at the most reasonable price," said Councilmember Dennis Gillette.

"You folks have listened to the staff; you have made up your mind- - it doesn't make any difference how many people come. Your kids are not affected," said Nick Quidwai during public comments before the council voted.

In August, the Conejo Valley Unified School District Board of Education approved the city's proposal to partner in operating the child care center. The new lease will be in effect for two years with the possibility of six year-to-year extensions.