Bartlett preschool closed, but parents still seeking closure

Parents are frustrated following the closure of Precious Tots Preschool at St. Peter Damian Catholic Church in Bartlett. The 11-year program held its final graduation last Thursday, with teachers turning in keys the next day.

“It's really heartbreaking because it was our home,” said parent Molly Mares. “These teachers created lifelong friendships for these kids and friendships for the parents.”

The closure was announced in a Jan. 27 letter from Father Christopher Ciomek, stating the decision was made jointly by the Archdiocese of Chicago and St. Peter Damian Parish. Parents were directed to St. John the Evangelist preschool in Streamwood.

When questioned about the closure, Ciomek referred inquiries to the archdiocese.

But Archdiocese spokesperson Yasmin Quiroz wrote, “The parish made the decision to stop hosting the preschool.”

Some parents felt blindsided after registration deadlines for other preschools had passed. Parent Deala Torres said families contacted St. John, only to discover “they were completely unaware that this school was closing and that they were supposed to be accepting all of these students.”

Parents claim they demanded a meeting with church officials but felt misled about responsibility for the closure. They also said surveillance cameras were installed around the school in its final days.

Rumors circulated that a Polish school would replace the preschool. A Polish program already existed on Thursdays and Fridays long before the preschool’s closure was announced, archdiocese officials said.

Officials at The Academy of Polish Language and Culture said they have been there for 13 years and have recently been quarreling with parents about images of preschool children posted on the academy’s Facebook page. A police report was filed with Bartlett police.

An official from the academy who would not give her name was asked about the Facebook images, but answered, “I don’t care what they said. Tell them to leave me alone.”

Parent Morgan Coppert, whose 11-year-old son attended Precious Tots, described the preschool as “phenomenal,” noting that her son thrived educationally and socially, maintaining friendships with classmates years later.

Torres praised the educational quality: “My son went into kindergarten far exceeding most of the students in his class.”