Pre-school cooperative is in dire financial straits

There are few things more important than educating children.

Just ask the roughly 500 people who have gone to the Mariposa Pre-School Co-op.

And now, that local institution is in need of help.

“It’s a mess,” said Hanna Wackerman, president of the board this year at the school.

That mess is more than 10 years in the making and involves the Internal Revenue Service.

The nonprofit cooperative, it turns out, has had issues with its accounting for quite some time.

In fact, the proper paperwork for the co-op has not been filed since 2015. Now, the school has lost its nonprofit status and Wackerman, along with others, are working to get that status back.

But it won’t be cheap.

She said it will cost between $3,000 and $5,000 to get all of the back documentation filed with the federal government. That would bankrupt the school.

“We are going to try to get it back,” said Wackerman.

There are currently 15 students in the co-op, a number that has held each year since its founding in 1973. That’s that math in determining how around 500 students have been through the program.

Today, some of the parents who have their children in the program were once the students, said Mary Weaver, the current teacher at the co-op.

The school is located near Woodland Elementary and they operate out of a building rented, cheaply, from Mariposa County. It is truly an institution in the county and that’s why officials are reaching out to the community in an effort to not only keep the doors open, but to also get its financial picture back in proper shape.

“It is a vital service,” said Weaver, especially noting how it is even more important with the ending of the Head Start program.

Wackerman said changes in state law have also impacted the educational process. The state requires a certain level of preparedness for young students — and that’s the focus of the co-op.

“We structure the program to match the pre-K and kindergarten programs,” she said.

Those students are in the program one or two years and then go on to either Woodland Elementary School or Mariposa Elementary School.

Because of its proximity to Woodland, Weaver said they go to that school on a regular basis to participate in some activities and for the students to get a sense what it will be like to attend the school.

Many might not consider some of the skills needed these days to attend pre-K, but it’s quite the list.

Just some of the things taught at the coop include science, simple math, shapes, the alphabet, days the week, paper and scissors, holding a pencil and much more.

They are in the school four hours a day.

“It’s so important to him,” said Wackerman about her son who is in his second year in the program.

She said he looks forward each day to being able to go to the school to learn and to socialize with the other students.

That point, too, is vital, said Weaver, noting social interaction is a critical component for students who are about to enter elementary school.

That is why they are both hoping the local community can rally around this institution as they work to bring it into compliance with the IRS.

“We have to have the funds,” said Wackerman.

They are hoping to raise at least $5,000 in order to get the financial situation in order, but as Wackerman said, there are always needs at the school and they are taking a hard look at the overall financial picture, including the cost of tuition.

They would also gladly take some donated accounting work.

She said one of the reasons it has gotten to this point is the fact each year, the board — made up of parents — changes. For the most part, that is either one or two years.

“It changes every year,” said Wackerman.

“I would hate to see it close,” said Weaver. “We need real money.”

Wackerman, who has a lot of experience with finances both by owning businesses and through her volunteer work, said she “started digging around” and discovered the IRS situation.

She met with a CPA and that’s when she found out how much it is going to cost in order to, hopefully, get things in order.

“We have 10 years to catch up,” she said.

Wackerman did stress they are now working on “new procedures” to put into place when it comes to the accounting. Establishing timelines and checklists are critical, she said.

So much so, Wackerman said she is willing to stay on the board for another year, even though her son will move on to pre-K, to help get it straightened out.

She’s that passionate about the place.

“A to-do list will be established,” she said. “The goal is to restructure.”

The group is also working to raise money is other ways, including bake sales at opening days of the little league and softball programs.

Those fundraisers will be on March 21 and March 28 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Woodland Field.

There will also be raffle tickets for purchase with various prizes. Those include tickets for four on the Sugar Pine Railroad, a $100 gift card from 1850, two Super Fencer hats, a gift basket valued at $275 and more.

Both Wackerman and Weaver know the school has to change some things and they are hoping the community is understanding and supportive.

All they want, said Wackerman, is to make sure the school remains open well into the future so more students can continue to further their education and be prepared for elementary school.

If you would like to help or need more information, send an email to preschoolmariposa@gmail.com or call the school at (209) 966-2665.