On May 31, 2012, the City of Newark, California issued a letter to the parents of children enrolled in the Newark Pre-School Program informing them of the program’s closure effective June 28, 2013 due to budget constraints. Parents believe that the closure of the program represents a departure from community’s core values (24 year old program) and is requesting that the City of Newark, California grant a time-limited injunction to prevent closure the program. This injunction will allow the program to preserve current enrollment and provide the time necessary for parents to work with the city and community to implement solutions to get the Newark Pre-School Program in the black.

Parents and many in the community are upset about this situation for the following reasons:

• Newark Pre-School Program delivers high quality, low cost child care and Pre-K preparation. Closure of this program will significantly impact the Pre-K educational growth of the children it serves.
• The City of Newark, California provided less than one (1) month notice of the closure leaving parents with little time to find suitable alternatives for child care (30+ families impacted).
• No public hearing to discuss proposed closure of Newark Pre-School Program to allow for public input.
• No advance notice of problems faced by Newark Pre-School Program (i.e., enrollment, budget shortfall) to allow parents to propose solutions get program on back on track.
• The City of Newark, California did little to effectively advertise the Newark Pre-School Program.

Please sign this petition to help us prevent the closure of the Newark Pre-School Program.