Fate of Marine Park Still Unclear

By Teresa Rochester

In less than two weeks, Marine Park Child Development Center parents organized a fundraising effort and agreed to higher tuition in hopes of keeping the school under the direction of the Santa Monica/Malibu School District.

But as of last Thursday, the future of the beleagured center, which is run by the district in partnership with the City of Santa Monica, was unclear.

The Board of Education voted 4 to 3 to notify the city that the district will not reapply to operate the 10-year-old center because it can no longer afford to do so. The board, however, also voted to ask the city for an extension on the notification deadline, currently set for Dec. 31, 1999, so parents and district staff can look at ways to bail the program out of debt.

The school district receives a $240,000 grant from the city to run the program, which serves infants, toddlers and preschoolers, but district officials say the grant and parent fees are not enough to cover the cost of the program. According to a staff report the center is operating with a $84,733 deficit.

"The operation costs exceed not only the contract but also parent fees," said Nancy Cohen, director of child development. She added that if the district decided to renew the three-year contract the district would have to use money from its general fund budget.

Some board members said taking on the added financial burden as the district faces a multi-million dollar budget shortfall would be disastrous, while others said they owed it to parents and children to find a way to keep the center going under the district’s direction.

"I cannot in good consciencesness vote in support of this," said Board Member Dorothy Chapman. "To vote yes would imply the district’s general fund could sustain a donation. There has never been a donation from the general fund, never, until this year and this is a bad year."

Board Member Margaret Quinones floated a failed motion to ask the city for a two-month extension so parents and the district could work towards solutions, possibly with the help of the city.

"I would like to see the lobbying take place at the city council. We need to try and minimize as much disruption to our children," Quinones said. "We need to have a healthy discussion with the city about the contribution."

While parents have offered to pay higher fees, Cohen said they would have to pay above market rates to keep the center afloat. Parents, some with toddlers in tow, waited more than three hours to address the board.