Cross Roads Preschool and Kindergarten is asking the community for help to stay open, after being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The school, which is located at 7901 N. Central Ave., has set up a GoFundMe page, seeking $50,000 to recover costs after it was forced to close its doors temporarily in March due to the Coronavirus crisis. Money raised from the GoFundMe site will help with payroll and rent, as well as utilities and materials for learning, said Emily Watson, director of the school.
Cross Roads Preschool and Kindergarten, which took a major financial hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, is seeking the community’s help through a GoFundMe site in recovering $50,000 in operating costs it incurred after being forced to close its doors temporarily in March (photo courtesy of Cross Roads Preschool and Kindergarten).
In-person instruction was delayed until this month because of the school’s commitment to the safety and well-being of its students and staff members. Teachers will be required to wear masks and there will be stringent disinfecting and hand-washing policies in place, as well as staggered playground and restroom times, Watson said. There were 85 students enrolled for this new school year in-person, as of late August.
Cross Roads Preschool and Kindergarten has served thousands of families in North Central since 1965. The preschool educates children ages 2, 3 and 4 while the progressive kindergarten teaches kids 5 years old in play-based programs with academics.
“It’s such a loving, wonderful, sweet community,” Watson said. “We’re just so grateful to have such a loving, sweet community of people that are taking care of us. We’re just blown away by the donations coming through. I really feel like we’re going to be okay and everything’s going to work out.”
As a non-profit school, Cross Roads runs on a tight budget funded by tuition and school fundraising events. The pandemic has caused a temporary decline in student enrollment. While the school has applied for grants and loans, it still needs more money to pay for expenses.
Students at Cross Roads focus on reading, numbers and letters, as well as music, Spanish and physical education.
As of late September, the school had raised $22,070 through the GoFundMe site. If you would like to make a donation, visit charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/help-save-crossroads/crossroadspreschool.
