Rezekne advances plan to merge Winnie the Pooh kindergarten

Rezekne is moving ahead with a plan to merge the Winnie the Pooh kindergarten with another preschool, citing falling birth rates, costs and safety concerns, LSM reported. Parents accuse the municipality of poor communication and misleading them about the reasons for the proposed change.

A proposal to reorganise the kindergarten has been submitted to the Rezekne City Council. The municipality says the city’s preschools already have more than 150 vacant places as birth rates decline. It also says maintaining the Winnie the Pooh building is expensive and that it needs renovation.

The kindergarten’s children have been attending other preschools since September, after a storm in August damaged its roof. The roof has since been repaired.

Rezekne Mayor Jānis Tutins said the municipality’s concerns include safety risks, the building’s financial situation, the condition of its heating and boiler systems, and rising energy prices.

However, the State Construction Control Bureau inspected the building and said it was safe to use. It found some deficiencies that could be remedied, but said they did not affect the building’s use. The bureau also said it could not influence the municipality’s decision on whether to operate the kindergarten.