North Hills Cooperative Preschool Faces Closure
The 63-year-old Granada Hills school currently has student enrollment at just 30 percent of its capacity.
Updated on Oct. 15, 2026 in Child Care
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The North Hills Cooperative Preschool is at risk of shutting down due to low enrollment levels and insufficient tuition revenue. Los Angeles City Councilmember John Lee has stepped in with a $25,000 donation pledge to support the facility.
Why it matters
The school serves children aged 2½ to 5 and does not qualify for government funding, forcing it to rely solely on parent tuition and community donations. Enrollment has dwindled as more families choose state-funded pre-K or homeschooling options.
The preschool has served children for 63 years and is currently operating at only 30% of its licensed 24-student capacity. The school offers programs for children aged 2½ to 5 years, while parent-and-me classes serve ages 15 months to 2½ years.
The players
North Hills Cooperative Preschool
This nonprofit school in Granada Hills operates a cooperative model where parents volunteer their time to help manage operations.
John Lee
He is a Los Angeles City Councilmember who pledged $25,000 to assist the school with its financial difficulties.
The details
Parents at this nonprofit school actively contribute by cleaning, organizing, and supervising play to keep the institution running. To offset the funding gap, the school is working to expand its parent-and-me classes and increase outreach to alumni.
Timeline
1963: The North Hills Cooperative Preschool was established.
Mid-1970s: Popularity for cooperative preschools began to decline.
2020-2022: The school was forced to shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic.
October 2026: John Lee pledged a $25,000 donation to the school.
Culture Shift
The struggle at this facility mirrors the broader cultural shift as parents increasingly prioritize the convenience and cost-savings of state-funded universal pre-K. This trend has placed significant pressure on traditional cooperative models that require high levels of parent involvement.
Families in Granada Hills may see a reduction in local early childhood education options if the school cannot stabilize its enrollment. The facility continues to rely on tuition and the active participation of parents who volunteer time to clean and supervise play.
The takeaway
Smaller, parent-run preschools are increasingly struggling to compete with broader state-sponsored education programs. Families looking to support local early education should check their own community resources for small-scale non-profits that lack government backing.
Further reading
Learn more about local resources and standards in the Los Angeles Child Care section.
More information
To contribute to the school, visit the preschool donation portal.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The San Fernando Valley Sun.
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