Wildarts at PS 108 is Closing 12/20/2024

Dear Wildarts Families,

Since we launched our program at PS 108 this year, we have been struggling with low enrollment. Just 10 students have enrolled in our program, and we need at least 20 students enrolled to cover the costs of running the program. This enrollment shortfall is draining our resources rapidly, and we do not believe we will be able to reach the enrollment goal to sustain the program. For this reason, we have made the difficult decision to close the Wildarts program at PS 108. The last day of Wildarts programs at PS 108 will be December 20th, 2024.

While we know this is not an ideal solution, we can offer to transfer your enrollment to our program at PS 185 the Locke School of Arts and Engineering. We cannot provide transportation to PS 185 from PS 108 or CPE1, however, because the distance would not be covered by our insurance. Before our launch at PS 108, families from CPE1 arranged a parent walking-pool to walk students to PS 185. Your community may also consider hiring someone to walk the students over.

Please email us at info@wildartsnyc.org if you wish to transfer your enrollment to our program at PS 185. If you choose not to transfer your enrollment to PS 185, your Wildarts monthly payments for January through June will be cancelled and families who have paid tuition in full for the school year will be refunded for January through June.

We love PS 108 and have received a warm welcome from your vibrant community. I am heartbroken that we cannot continue this work without threatening the stability of Wildarts as a whole. We have searched for solutions to the problem, but the enrollment shortage is simply too large and the drain on our resources is too fast to save the program. I understand our program closing will be a hardship for the families who rely on us, and create difficult decisions in your community. Please know that we did all we could to avoid a closure.

Wildarts has always been committed to keeping tuition affordable, and we have our Community Liaison assisting families apply for help with childcare costs through the city--but these efforts are not enough. Governor Hochul and policy-makers have called the lack of access to affordable childcare for families a "Childcare Crisis" and we have seen this first hand. Wildarts is just one of many small nonprofit organizations families rely on, and we will continue to advocate for state and local government support to help us stabilize in times of economic downturn when families struggle to afford afterschool.  Unfortunately, we have not found any resources that can save this program at PS 108.

Thank you for supporting our programs,

Joni Wildman