The parent council at the Leahy-Holloran Community Center is seeking to opt out of an agreement they set up with the city to fund their pre-school and begin searching for a new financing model.

Two years ago, after the Boston Centers for Youth and Families, which oversees dozens of community centers across the city, cut funding for pre-schools, parents worked with the agency to come up with a “declining funds model” as they looked to create a self-sustaining pre-school, according to Robert Genduso, president of the Leahy-Holloran council. The majority of preschool programs are run independent of city staff.

Under the “declining funds” model, the community center over several years subsidizes greater percentages of compensation packages for the pre-school’s teachers as the city subsidizes less and less: The Leahy-Holloran council picked up a $30,000 tab for the first year, $60,000 for the second year that ends this June, $90,000 for the third, and take on all the costs in the fourth year at $120,000.

The deal, described by Genduso as a stop-gap, extended the life of the pre-school; the volunteer-backed nonprofit council raised the $30,000 for the first year (2010-2011), and $60,000 is due this coming June. But the council will not be able to take on $120,000 in the fourth year, Genduso told the Reporter.

“So the preschool is not going to go away, the model is going to go away,” he said. “We’re going to a new model. That’s what we’re working on right now.”

Two other sites, in West Roxbury and Roslindale, have a similar “declining funds” model. Another location in Charlestown closed down in September because BCYF pulled staff out as part of a consolidation of community centers.

Leahy-Holloran council members planned to send a letter to parents informing them of the change this week. The pair of city employees who currently work at the preschool will be heading elsewhere, said Genduso, and the council will be putting together a board of directors for the pre-school as the June deadline looms for a new financing setup.

Officials with the Boston Centers for Youth and Families say they have not yet been notified about any change in the financing model. Noah Stockman, director of administration and finance for the agency, said BCYF is willing to explore other options with the council.

“We want to work with the council to figure this out,” he said yesterday. “That hasn’t happened yet. I think from our perspective, nothing is a done deal.”

Stockman said the “declining fund” model is common among nonprofits. “They want to be able to fund programs but they also want to see sustainability,” he said, adding that the model was set up after discussions with parents and the community.

“It was a definite compromise and it was something we thought was a fair deal,” Stockman said.
The accredited preschool program has 60 children now, down from 65 last year. Its capacity is 72 seats. Three year olds attend on Tuesdays and Thursdays, while four year olds attend Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The tuition, which the council keeps, is $800 annually for each three year old and $1,000 for each four year old.

“Children are encouraged to explore their talents and abilities,” according to the Leahy-Holloran council’s website. “Our curriculum is designed to encourage the development of social, emotional, cognitive, and creative skills.”