It seemed like the end of a typical day, when Courtney Singletary picked up her 2-year-old son March 26, from Bright Beginnings Daycare at Plant City Church of God.
But when she saw teachers crying, she knew something was wrong.
Singletary was left with one puzzling clue, a letter sent home with her son. The daycare was closing April 5, just 10 days later.
The letter offered little explanation. Signed by the church’s board of directors, the letter stated, “The daycare ministry does not fit in with the long-range vision of Plant City Church of God.”
“It was closing without notice or explanation,” Singletary said. “As a parent, it makes me think, ‘Is something wrong? Do I need to be worried?’”
Like Singletary, mother Suzanne Calder was confused by the explanation. Her 6-year-old son had been a student at the school since he was 3 months old. The family loved the daycare.
“The children should be the vision of the church,” Calder said.
Seeking answers, Calder organized a group of parents to meet at the church the next day. Word of the parents’ outrage already had reached the church and its lead pastor, Robert Herrin. Using social media, parents voiced their confusion on Facebook and flooded the church office with phone calls and emails.
Herrin didn’t return many of the calls, according to parents. He also didn’t return multiple phone calls and emails from the Plant City Observer staff seeking comment.
The next day, the church issued a second letter that stated the school would remain open until June 7, the end of the school year.
“Pastor Herrin and the board of directors never intended to offend or cause undue inconvenience to any of you,” the later stated. “We hope that this decision will accommodate you and provide you full time to find new arrangements for your children.”
The closing will displace 108 students and 22 teachers. According to church member Cheryl Johnston, about 20 families already have left the school in search of another option. Many of the schools in the area already have waiting lists.
The day after the first letter was issued, Calder took a day off work to find her son a new school, before other parents filled any open slots. She was lucky to get him enrolled in Kindercare at Walden Lake.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t know how you think a week and a half is enough time to find a new daycare,” Calder said.
Singletary still hasn’t found a new school for her son.
“I have no idea what I am going to do,” she said.
Kim Shouse, director of Plant City’s First Baptist Church Learning Center, said her two openings were filled the day the first letter was released. The school currently is considering options to expand to accommodate more students in the future, she said.
During the parents meeting last Wednesday, parents were able to speak to church faculty, who parents said were not open about why the daycare was closing. Herrin made an appearance during the last 15 minutes of the meeting.
“The pastor was very apologetic and remorseful about the way the letter went out,” Calder said.
He shared that out of the 108 attending children, only eight students were members of the church.
“My opinion is that they feel the daycare is in the way of the church,” Calder said.
Calder said Herrin felt his faculty and resources were more focused on the daycare rather than the church even though the majority of students weren’t members. Calder and other parents expressed that they were never approached about becoming members.
“I wish we had more information about the real reasons why,” Calder said.
Bright Beginnings was a popular option for parents because it utilized the A Beka curriculum, which integrates education into play.
“The play really enhances the learning ability,” Singletary, an educator at Durant, said. “Education is what is going to help my kids make it through life.
“This is not just a daycare,” she said. “I’m not looking for a babysitter. It’s a quality preschool.”
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.