Plan to close popular San Francisco pre-school angers parents

SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) -- A popular San Francisco pre-school that has served thousands of children for over 50 years is set to close in order to make way for senior housing, a plan that has infuriated teachers and parents.

Forest Hill Christian plans to level the church and pre-school, located on 7th Avenue near Laguna Honda Hospital, in the summer of 2018 so that 150 units of affordable housing for seniors can be erected on the site.

"Tears were running down my face" when I found out, said Mary Lavino, the pre-school director. "I mean I thought I was going to be retiring at this school."

Lavino said she received a letter that outlined the church's plan in May.

"We should not be eliminated, we belong here," said Nina Peralta, a teacher who has worked at the pre-school for 30 years. "This place to me was my life and to find out that it's closing is just unnecessary."

School officials say they would like the school to co-exist with the senior residential units by creating a unique partnership where seniors can attend school events like the annual Halloween parade and Christmas party.

Church officials, however, said there's no room for the pre-school.

Church officials' decision to provide all of their land for the senior housing project is an attempt to get city planners' blessing.

"The proposal to the City would be more attractive and thus increase our chances of obtaining city funding. The congregation does not feel we can support the school moving forward in terms of oversight, administration and liability," the church's letter states.

Forest Hill Christian Church is partnering with Christian Church Homes, part of the Disciples of Christ. Christian Church Homes specializes in building affordable senior housing.

There was a similar plan in 2008 but they collapsed because of inadequate HUD funding. This year, however, San Francisco was able to allocate funds because of the passage of an affordable housing bond measure.

Church officials said they accepted the proposal because their congregation consists of small number of people who are aging. Many can't attend church services anymore due to their age or medical conditions.

And church officials say they can no longer afford to keep up with all of the repairs that the property requires. For example, every winter, then it rains, they say part of the hillside comes down and partially floods the building.

"It's a huge disappointment," said Katie McCarthy, holding her 2-year-old daughter who attends the school. "She's in her first year and now I have to go get her on a wait list somewhere else which is going to be tough with so many places already being so filled."

"I was very sad (because) we moved here from Virginia in January and the school has opened its arms and welcomed us in a way that really no one else in San Francisco has," said Susan Keltner, a volunteer parent and assistant teacher at the pre-school.

School officials say finding a place to relocate the school so that it's in the same area does not seem feasible.

The school does not pay rent and is in a prime location on the edge of Forest Hill near the West Portal neighborhood. Parents of students at the school say rates are affordable in a city where sky-high rents and home prices are the norm.

"There's a lot of sad parents (and) there are a lot of us fighting for it," Lavino said. "I just want to do what I can, while I can and go down with a smile on my face knowing that I tried."

By KTVU reporter Tara Moriarty.