Valley Drive Preschool in Search of New Home

Pressed for time, Alexandria’s Valley Drive Cooperative Preschool is searching for a new home.

The 55-year-old preschool was notified this spring that Commonwealth Baptist Church in Rosemont would not renew the school’s lease to use the church after June 30, 2014.

Valley Drive currently uses the church building, while Abracadabra Preschool, a separate school operated by the church, operates out of an adjacent building.

Commonwealth Baptist leadership made a business decision to expand Abracadabra, a choice that caught Valley Drive off-guard and left the school community in a tough spot, Valley Drive President Rebecca Kotuby said.

“It was meant to be our permanent home,” she said. “We used our entire nest egg on that facility.”

Kotuby said Valley Drive spent more than $40,000 in facilities improvements at the Commonwealth Baptist facility. It also received another $25,000 to $30,000 in like-kind donations for other upgrades, Kotuby said.

Lonnie Rich, a member of the church’s leadership, said Commonwealth Baptist also spent a lot of money on church upgrades.

“Valley Drive is a great organization,” Rich said. “They’ve been great tenants. We certainly hope they find a place they can move to.”

Rich said the church offered Valley Drive a 10-year lease when it relocated from Convergence Baptist to Commonwealth Baptist four years ago. The school opted for a five-year lease instead, he said.

Kotuby said the school went for the shorter lease in order to have “a predetermined and not-too-distant point in time” to renegotiate the amount of the lease in an attempt to keep the rent at fair market value.

Strapped for funds, Valley Drive leadership is in the midst of raising money so it can secure a new home. Kotuby and other school parents have held fundraisers, including bake sales and yard sales over the last several months.

Ideally, the school would like a new, permanent home. A temporary facility is also an option.

“We are eager to find a new home due to the amount of money and time it takes to bring a building up to code to house a preschool,” Kotuby said.

In January, preschools hold their open houses—important events for recruiting new families.

Preschool openings are scarce in the city, with some parents putting their children on wait lists before they are born. Valley Drive has a wait list of more than 35, Kotuby said.  

Operating on a half-day schedule, Valley Drive is one of four schools in Alexandria following the cooperative model. The school has a staff of professional teachers who develop and implement curriculum. Parents are required to volunteer in the classroom, giving them the opportunity to participate in their child’s education.

“There aren’t enough quality preschool options in Alexandria,” Kotuby said. “If we don’t have a space, we have to close our doors. … If anyone has a space available, we’ll do whatever we need to make it work.”