State Budget Woes May Force Oakland Preschools To Close

Seven preschools in Oakland may be forced to shut down for a while because of state budget problems.

Parents say come July 31, they may have to find an alternative for their kids. The issue with the alternative is money.

The preschools at stake serve about 1,000 students -- many are low income.  Cost is based on a sliding scale of what the family can afford.

Leave it to parents to find a way to give their kids what they need. The group Oakland Parents Together is considering staffing the centers with volunteers including laid off teachers, at least until the state comes up with a budget that includes money to open their doors again. The centers are tied to the school district.

We spoke with parent Laurice Brown who says parents and students are starting to panic. Childcare is not easy to come up with short notice.

The centers are Manzanita, Jefferson, Golden Gate, Santa Fe, Piedmont Ave, Sequoia and Hintil Kuu Ca. There is a meeting about volunteering Wednesday night at 5:30 p.m. at the Santa Fe CDC, 5380 Adeline Street, Oakland.

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