All but a few parents have removed their children from a preschool in the wealthy Auckland suburb of Ponsonby.
A spokesperson for roughly 40 parents said as of this week, they believed only two children, down from 26, were still enrolled at the $9.50 an hour preschool.
In July, the board of the Auckland Council-owned Ponsonby Community Centre, which operates Ponsonby Community Preschool, said it would be extending its hours from 8.30am-4pm to 8am-5.30pm.
In August, parents threatened to take their children out of the preschool over the decision.
Parents said they were prepared to leave because long-time teaching staff had been “driven away” by the decision.
According to parents, all of the preschool’s teachers had now resigned, leaving only relievers.
“Emails from board members stated the change was a chance to ‘freshen up’ teaching staff, clearly undermining any regard for quality teachers.”
One parent said their child’s last day enrolled at the preschool was 22 August. But the parent said their child did not attend due to the absence of “beloved teachers”.
“Our decision to leave was not made lightly but was forced upon us due to the recent events and the ongoing situation, which have profoundly impacted our family and the wider community.”
“To say we are disappointed is an understatement. The handling of recent changes and the outright mistreatment of staff and families is beyond troubling – it’s disgraceful.”
Board chair Nick Davies told RNZ in August that two staff members had recently resigned and another staff member had requested voluntary redundancy.
“We have told all our staff that we don’t want them to go and intended to take them on the journey with us, but if they decide to leave, we support their personal decision.”
Davies previously told RNZ many families in the area could not use the preschool because its hours were too restrictive, and its management agreement required them to be inclusive to the wider community.
He said the preschool had seen declining enrolments since 2023 and the new hours were in line with daycare centres across the country.
The preschool is licensed for 41 children aged 2-5 onsite, however only 25 were enrolled as of August, according to Davies.
He said parents were still able to choose which hours their children attended, and the “care and quality” at the preschool would not change.
At a special general meeting on August 7, parents said 80 current and former parents put forward a motion of no confidence and asked the board to resign, but they refused.
“We got called ‘pathetic’, ‘weird’, and there was no recognition or apology from the board or chair.
“It will likely be irreparable if the board don’t step down. The place is a rotating stream of relievers and in disarray. This an embarrassment and a severe loss for the local community.”
The parent group said they later received an email from the board asking to meet for a coffee to discuss their concerns.
“It’s difficult to understand how it took them more than four weeks to agree to meet with parents, but now they are suddenly reaching out, offering individual meetings, and communicating with the parents.
“It feels like an attempt to save face rather than a genuine effort to address our concerns.”
Parents said they also requested to become members of the Ponsonby Community Centre board to ensure the preschool was run effectively.
“In violation of their own rules and unlawfully they have refused membership to around 40 of us. We live and work in Ponsonby, and our children attended the preschool. Their refusal appears to be an attempt to maintain their positions on the board and prevent the community from having a say.”
Davies confirmed to RNZ some families and staff had left the preschool. But he would not confirm how many.
“I can confirm that there have been families and employees who have left the centre, some of whom have advised that it is because of the proposed extension to the hours of operation of the preschool.
“I acknowledge that the changes haven’t suited everyone and that’s regrettable but not surprising – this would be the first change in well over a decade.”
He said there had been some “unfortunate interactions” between the board and parents and a board member had stepped down as a result.
“It’s been a challenging time. I feel it’s important to note that context is always important, but is often missing from an individual’s account of events.
“However, the Board Member involved believes that they are becoming a distraction, and is proposing to step down.”
He said proposed changes to the preschool’s hours had been halted.
“It is encouraging to see a strong interest in the day-to-day operations from many people, including many of whom no longer have any association with the preschool.
“We’ve initiated a community-wide consultation on the services and activities provided at the Ponsonby Community Centre (of which the preschool is just one part); this will give everyone a chance to share feedback-including on the proposed hours at the preschool.
“Whilst the preschool’s hours of operation may change in the future, what will not change is our focus on providing a vibrant, creative environment for 2 to 5 year olds, supported by professional, trusted, passionate and caring employees.”
By Jessica Hopkins of rnz.co.nz