Parents Alarmed by Kindergarten Closure in Alytus; Municipality Cites Reasons

Parents in Alytus have expressed shock and dismay over the impending closure of the "Vyturėlis" branch of the "Šaltinėlis" kindergarten. They report being informed of the decision at the last minute, with the reasons remaining unclear to them. The fate of the young children attending the facility is a primary concern. Municipal representatives explained that the kindergarten director proposes group formations for the upcoming academic year, and these proposals are then evaluated. For the "Vyturėlis" branch, only five new applications have been received for the next academic year, while 21 children will be moving on to school. This leaves 42 children, enough for only two groups, with just five new applications. The municipality highlighted a consistent downward trend in new enrollments at this branch over many years, attributed to Lithuania's demographic situation and parental choices for other educational institutions. With only two groups remaining out of twelve for which the infrastructure and staff are designed, the occupancy rate would drop to approximately 16%. Therefore, the decision aims to ensure stable and quality education, optimize resource use, and maintain balanced workloads for staff. Addressing parental concerns about limited options, the municipality stressed that enrollment in preschools is year-round, with ample spaces available across all city institutions. They noted that nearby kindergartens with vacancies are only 200 meters away, and parents have the freedom to choose any facility without restrictions.

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Today, only 5 new applications have been received for the "Vyturėlis" branch for the upcoming academic year, and 21 students will be moving to school from September 1st. Since only 63 students are currently educated in the kindergarten, with 21 students leaving, there will be 42 children left, which would form only two groups, and we only have five new applications.