To be sad about the apathy of the parents regarding the future of their pre-school?

[Ripeberry]

Sorry, but i've put this in AIBU as i need some ideas fast.
Our EGM is next week and at the AGM 4 weeks ago only ONE parent turned up to it.
We have over 20 children on our books.
I've been involved in the committee for the last 4yrs and next July my DD2 will be leaving for school in September and i have no younger children.
I've helped out loads and even stayed on when i had no kids at the pre-school.
I now want a clean break.
For this year i've aggreed to stay on as a Fundraiser, in the past i was secretary and voucher clerk.
At the moment we only have the Secretary, Fundraiser and Treasurer.
No-one wants to be the chair and basically it means the pre-school will have to close.
Some parents today were basically trying to BULLY me! into making me the chair as their lives are much too important to bother with pre-school matters.
One even said, it's only one more year.
NO IT IS NOT, the chair should be taken up by someone who's child is at least 2.9yrs old as they will be there for 2yrs, not a few months.
There are at least 10 famillies that fit the bill.
They just turned around and said "Well the pre-school down the road can have our business then".
Just want to throw my hands up in the air!
We are just going to pray someone comes up with something and maybe we can liaise with the after-school club and see if they can do a joint chairman

Just to add, they basically say that the "dooers" will sort it out why should they?
Don't think they realise the pre-school down the road is actually more expensive!

This sounds familiar. Our preschool has around 28 kids on the books and four parents on the committee. Absolutely no one wants to help and the pre-school is financially on its knees. Plus the teachers are hostile to the committee (which needs to implement changes) so you can't win. The PTA is exactly the same. Don't get bullied into staying on.

Does the pre-school "down the road" have 20 vacancies then.

They are calling your bluff. Resign and someone WILL step in to do it.

That's what is also adding to my dilema.
They don't know it yet, only the committee and pre-school staff, but i'm setting up as a childminder this year which is another reason i can't really be involved in anything else as i'm going to be doing the CACHE level 3 diploma.
So if the pre-school goes under i don't want anybody thinking it was done deliberatly.
Argggh! it's such a minefield!
We basically need fresh, new faces on the committee.

Darn it, can't even spell today!

Hi, i know exactly how you feel, and I don't believe that if you resign someone else WILL take it, they are not interested, at my playgroup I was chair, and then became staff,so had to resign as chair, but I was still doing the job, just not on paper(!).
Our treasurere and secretary resigned,quite rightly too, as their kids are same age as mine, (6), so it was getting ridiculous.
i contacted our local PLA advisor for help, and she suggested joining forces with a nearby pre-schoo, which we did, and I have now left, but at least I know I have left it in safe hands.
I really feel for you, the apathy of some parents beggars belief!
They literally throw their kids in, and run for the bus some mornings, so getting them onto a commitee was extremely unlikely.

Good luck

Thanks chickidee. We will have to liaise with the after-school club as they run the building and share it with the pre-school.
If we go under they will as well!

I can't believe parents DON'T want to be involved in the education of their children. I'm desperate to be more hands on with mine as I want to feel like part of it.

In exactly the same postion here but have 38 children on the books finnacially in a mess and will need to "find" £10.000 to break even ( probably in staffing numbers)

However on top of that we have 6 committee members 2 of who only have children who attend toddlers!! We are struggling to survive but other parents fail to see that it will have to closewithout more support, likely to be a v intersting meeting at the AGM if anyone bothers to turn up

PS Ripeberry don't be bullied you can hold your head high you have done more than your fair share.....

Same old story everywhere, it seems. Same people do everything, and often they are the busy ones.

Don't be bullied. This is so unfair.

It is not your responsibility to sort this out. While you are rescuing them, no-one else has to step in. Just say you cannot do it and see what happens, you may be surprised!