Modesto’s Merryhill Preschool closing, says its money woes made worse by pandemic
Merryhill — a private preschool that has operated in Modesto for decades — has abruptly announced it is closing, leaving parents scrambling to find alternatives for their children.
In a Friday letter to parents, principal Sheila Yarbrough wrote the school faced financial challenges that have been made worse by the new coronavirus pandemic, which has resulted in the temporary shuttering of schools, businesses and other establishments over the last two months.
“Unfortunately, despite our wonderful staff, parents and children,” Yarbrough wrote, “we have faced difficulties in making ends meet, exacerbated by the current crisis, our company has come to the difficult decision that we must close our doors permanently. Our last day of distance learning will be May 29.”
Merryhill offers a preschool and day care for children as young as six weeks old. It has been providing preschoolers with online, distance learning after closing its campus March 20 because of the state’s stay-at-home order to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
Principal thanks parents
Yarbrough has led the Modesto school, which is on East Roseburg Avenue near McHenry Avenue, for more than 31 years, according to her letter. She did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
“We recognize that transitions can be challenging for you and your children, and we apologize for this inconvenience,” she wrote to parents. “We greatly appreciate the opportunity you have given us to educate and care for your children & to get to know your families.”
The stay-at-home order has brought much of the local economy to a stop and sparked debate in the community about whether the state has gone too far in protecting the public’s health.
A Merryhill parent said the school also had offered a pre- and after-school program for children as old as sixth-graders. Children could be at the school from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. But the parent said that program ended last year as the school sought to increase its funding by serving more children in its other programs.
Part of the Spring Education Group
Merryhill is licensed with the California Department of Social Services as an infant center and preschool.
The Modesto school — as well as the other Merryhill preschools and elementary and middle schools in California, Nevada, Texas and Colorado — is part of the Spring Education Group.
The group operates 27 brands — including Merryhill, the Stratford School and Chesterbrook Academy — in 18 states offering infant care through high school, according to its website.
“Spring Education Group is a multi-brand network providing superior private school education from infant care through high school” according to its website. “The network brings together some of the best private school programs in the country, with proven track records educating children through unique and carefully crafted curricula.”
A spokeswoman responded to a request for comment from the group with a statement that repeated the points in the Merryhill principal’s letter regarding the Modesto school’s financial challenges. The spokeswoman said the Spring Education Group would make no additional comments.
The building that houses the Merryhill School is owned by NME Hospitals Inc. in Southern California, according to public records. The corporation did not respond to an email Tuesday asking what it knows about the closure.
