Go Kids, Inc., a state-subsidized childcare center, plans to say goodbye to one of its afterschool programs and move a preschool program to a new site in Hollister by the end of this month, staff said.
The nonprofit, which runs centers in Gilroy, San Martin, Morgan Hill and Hollister, will be relocating from the county property it uses at 5381 Fairview Road to renovated former office space at 1101 Community Parkway in Hollister. That should happen as soon as the group’s license for the new site is approved, said Larry Drury, the executive director for Go Kids, Inc.
“We own that building,” Drury said. “We’ve owned it for a number of years.”
Go Kids has been using county property at 5381 Fairview Road for low or no cost to operate a state-subsidized childcare center, but recently the county has been reviewing the support it gives to all nonprofits as directed by the board of supervisors last June.
Ray Espinosa, the county administrative officer, could not be reached for comment by deadline.
The county allowed the nonprofit free rent until the end of September, after which it would have to pay $5,000 a month, Drury said. Site appraisers valued the 2.3-acre property off Fairview Road at $500,000.
“It felt like it was a poor investment to buy the property because it has a well that has high arsenic levels and the building was 100 years old,” Drury said.
The new location off Community Parkway was previously home to California Head Start Programs and is close to the county’s Health and Human Services Agency, Drury said. The site can accommodate two additional preschool students bringing the total from 46 youth to 48, but the afterschool program will not continue at the new location, the executive director said.
The nonprofit had offered an afterschool program at the Fairview property that served many youth from Spring Grove School, which bused students to the site, Drury explained. The afterschool program had 28 students participating and the majority—60-70 percent—came from Spring Grove, he said.
Go Kids’ other Hollister site at R.O. Hardin School on 761 South St. will continue to run preschool and afterschool programs, the executive director said. The after school program is open to all students in the Hollister School District and also those at Spring Grove School, though these students may be less likely to attend since the public school buses travel only within the boundaries of the North County Joint Union District, which does not include the site, Drury explained.
“They could (go to R.O. Hardin) but I think the transportation from Spring Grove clear across town might be a problem,” the executive director said.
There are still openings in the preschool program at the new location off Community Parkway, he said.
For more information, go to the nonprofit’s website: gokids.org.
Go Kids, Inc. childcare centers:
Gilroy: 885 Moro Drive, 902 Arizona Circle
Hollister: 761 South St., soon-to-be 1101 Community Parkway
San Martin: 100 North St.
