Heartbroken family uncertain of future after sudden closure of Citrus Heights Preschool

By Sara Beth Williams–
The shuttering of Citrus Heights Preschool after more than 50 years has impacted many families across the community, including Samantha Reid, a single mom whose 8-year-old daughter attended the preschool for the last five years. Reid reached out to The Sentinel this week to shed light on the center’s abrupt shutdown.

Reid relayed that, in March, two long-time staff members both quit abruptly on the same day “with no notice or reason.” Then parents were notified that transportation services would be reduced due to staffing shortages.

Reid, who lives in Citrus Heights and works in downtown Sacramento, relied on the preschool to provide transport for her daughter to and from elementary school.

At the end of April, parents were notified that the last day of operation would be May 10. Two weeks later after operations officially shut down, Reid said her work was “gracious enough” to allow her to alter her work schedule so she could pick up her daughter from school.

“The sudden closure caused a lot of hardship for me,” Reid said.

Residents on social media expressed sadness over the childcare facility’s shuttering and shared many memories of time spent at the facility over the years, either teaching, attending, or having their children and grandchildren attend.

Reid said staff were “super awesome” and assisted her daughter with online schoolwork during the pandemic, even though the elementary school her daughter attended at the time wasn’t specifically partnered with the center.

While many expressed sadness, some families also relayed concerns regarding finding a replacement daycare. Reid called the center a “rare gem” because the facility partnered with and offered transport for children to and from nearby elementary schools. Reid has yet to find a replacement daycare that offers the same services.

Reid said a few new hires in 2024 did not remain with the center for long, and she said the director had told her and other parents that she was struggling to find new staff members and cited higher minimum wage requirements as a hindrance. Phone calls from The Sentinel to the school were unsuccessful, as the line appeared to have been disconnected.

Some residents speculated on other reasons for the shutdown, including lower enrollment and that the director chose to retire. The Sentinel was unable to contact the owner in order to verify online speculation.

On a visit to the site Thursday, Century 21 Select Real Estate Realtor Michael Thompson told The Sentinel that the previous owner recently passed away and that he had continued to honor the site’s use as a preschool under a promise to the owner prior. Thompson said he is “committed” to following through with the former owner’s wishes and hopes to find a buyer that will continue to use the site as an educational facility.

Reid said on the last day of operation, the director was “very, very heartbroken” over shutting down the facility and that saying goodbye was “sweet and sad.”

“I wish I had a way to talk to her because she was part of our lives for five years,” Reid said, adding that she has nothing negative to say about the preschool itself and that she and her daughter are very saddened.

The Sentinel reached out to previous employees of Citrus Heights Preschool regarding the closure and staffing challenges. One former employee declined to provide comment and others did not return a request for comment.