PCPK is proud of its history and reputation for providing excellent early childhood education to Springfield area families. Founded in 1978 by a small group of mothers, the Parents’ Cooperative Preschool emerged as their vision of a parent-involved educational opportunity.
The school originally opened with a $100 loan from a local church. The church also agreed to rent out our original classroom space to the school at $10 per month. With a teacher's salary of $160 a month, tuition was $20-$30 a month per child.
PCPS has been operating as a non-profit for 45 years now, located in various places throughout the decades. Even though its first location (and many locations since) was in a place of worship, PCPK was founded as a secular school for children from all backgrounds, and it remains so today. Whether the school has been operating from church buildings, private locations, or through partnerships with small businesses, the vision remains the same: a developmentally-appropriate approach and a community, built on family involvement, surrounding our children.
PCPK began to fill a gap in the world of early childhood that is still needed today: part-time, non-religious education that allowed parents to be actively involved. In the 70s and 80s, stay-at-home moms comprised most of our volunteers. Today, our volunteers might be at-home parents, business owners, employees with flexible schedules, entrepreneurs, or grandparents! Our cooperative model is just as valuable in today’s world as it ever was.
