At EvCC's Early Learning Center, teacher's union leader and EvCC employee Stephanie Doyle (in checkered shirt) reads a statement to the crowd June 25 at a gathering of the Early Learning Center's final day of classes.
Photo by Amy Gilbert McGrath
EVERETT — A crowd of a few dozen parents, teachers, and program alumni gathered outside Everett Community College’s (EvCC) Early Learning Center (ELC) on Wednesday afternoon to thank teachers and voice concerns over its closure set for June 30. Although the college knew it planned to close the center as early as March, it waited until early May to act on it, giving teachers and parents only 50 days’ notice.
On June 25, a Snohomish County judge ruled in favor of a lawsuit against the college’s Board of Trustees and college administrators over how the closure was handled. The decision temporarily blocked closing the ELC, requiring the board holds a public meeting. Shortly after this ruling, the board scheduled a special meeting at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow, June 26, in the Henry M. Jackson Conference Center (Jackson 101) to allow for public comments before taking a vote.
Attorney and ELC parent Samantha Sommerman filed the lawsuit on June 5, alleging the board and college administrators violated the state Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) by closing the center without a board vote or opportunity for public comment.
She announced the judge’s ruling at the gathering outside the ELC. Sommerman believes having a strong physical presence at the meeting will help to put pressure on the Board of Trustees to vote for keeping the ELC. She feels the meeting was rushed to limit attendance, given the short notice.
EvCC administrators have cited budget deficits, saying the program is underutilized with high operating costs. The college intends to close the ELC and seek to lease the space to a not-yet-selected private operator.
Opponents of the decision disagree. Many in attendance today said they believe the program is paving the way for children to one day return to EvCC for higher education.
Nicole Lengyel’s son is enrolled in the ELC through the Early Childhood Education Assistance Program (ECEAP). She has vouchers that last through the summer that she planned to use at the center. Lengyel hopes the board will consider extending operations at least through the summer, if not keeping it open indefinitely. Although her son is moving on to kindergarten in the fall, she is concerned about the future of the community and how it will impact the children who would have enrolled.
“The program is a gem. The rug was pulled out from us. Everyone here has so much experience. It’s some of the most underrepresented people in our community that have been helped here,” Lengyel said.
Magnus Johnston’s children started at the ELC with the same group of teachers who remained at the center throughout their attendance there.
“The way that we were taken care of – the way that (my kids) were understood and their emotional well-being was just as important as their educational well-being is humongous,” Johnston said. “All of my children are autistic and none of them felt like they didn’t fit in. That doesn’t happen in public education,”
“We fought when this first came down the pike and we’re fighting now because we believe in this place. We believe in these teachers,” Johnston said.
Students, faculty, staff, and community members may offer remarks during the Board’s public comment period. Comments may be delivered in person or virtually on the day of the meeting or submitted in advance via email to bot@everettcc.edu by noon. The Board allots 10 minutes for public comment, subject to adjustment by the Board Chair.
