Brooklyn early childhood school faces closure despite city’s miscount

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Nuestros Niños, a long-standing early childhood program in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is set to close despite efforts by parents and school leadership to save it. Operating without a budget since May 2024, the school has relied on fundraising to stay afloat, while claiming the city owes it over $1 million.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do. It’s very costly to put a child in a summer program in this area,” said Maria Candelario Skyles, a concerned parent. The school, which has served Black and brown students for decades, was informed of the closure due to under-enrollment.

Mayor Eric Adams defended the decision, citing a reported lack of students. “At the time that we looked at that center, we were paying a million dollars a year [on] rent, but only four children were registered. That just doesn’t add up,” Adams said on Tuesday.

However, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, a graduate of Nuestros Niños, disputed the mayor’s figures. After a conversation with Adams, Reynoso clarified, “There are not four students, but 96 students. I was very clear with him. I said you guys have the wrong numbers, and if your goal is to do right, we have to look at these numbers.”

Despite this clarification, the city reportedly plans to proceed with the closure, leaving parents frustrated and demanding accountability. “Why haven’t they done their research? Why are they not checking or calling the schools or visiting the schools to see how many students are actually here?” questioned parent Denise Basilio.

School leadership is now left in financial limbo, wondering about the more than $1 million the city allegedly owes. That money has been used to cover salaries and supplies for eight months, but with no resolution in sight, the future of Nuestros Niños—and the families it serves—remains uncertain.