Parents No Longer Believe They Can Save the 'Winnie the Pooh' Kindergarten in Rezekne

Parents of the children attending the 'Winnie the Pooh' kindergarten in Rezekne, who previously held a picket against its closure, no longer plan to hold protests. In their opinion, attempts to influence the decision of the city authorities have not yielded results. As reported by the LETA agency, a representative of the parents stated that no protest activities are planned during the meeting of the Rezekne City Council on Friday, October 23. It is at this meeting that the deputies are expected to consider the issue of reorganizing the kindergarten. The draft resolution has already received support at a joint meeting of the relevant committees of the city council. ### "Any communication with them is pointless" Parents claim that representatives of the ruling coalition, committee members, and the mayor continue to adhere to their initial plans, disregarding their objections. According to the parents, in the responses from the municipal representatives, they see only distorted and misinterpreted facts. Previously, parents sent an official letter requesting a meeting with representatives of the council; however, they claim that their request was ignored. They also question the adherence to good governance principles when making decisions about the fate of the kindergarten. ### Children Will Be Transferred to Another Institution Currently, the children from 'Winnie the Pooh' are already attending other preschool institutions. The reason for this is the municipality's concerns about the technical condition of the building. The project prepared by the Education Department stipulates that until December 15, 2026, educational programs will be temporarily implemented in the kindergartens 'Rotala', 'Varaviksne', and 'Naminsh'. From December 15, all children from 'Winnie the Pooh' are planned to be transferred to the premises of the 'Rotala' kindergarten. The reorganization itself is expected to be completed by June 30, 2027, merging 'Winnie the Pooh' with 'Rotala'. Thus, the kindergarten building at 31a Tinyanova Street will no longer be used for educational purposes. The municipality assures that, whenever possible, children will be transferred along with their groups, teachers, and support staff, so that the changes will have minimal impact on their usual routine. ### The Number of Children in Rezekne is Decreasing One of the main arguments of the municipality in favor of reorganization has been the demographic situation. According to the Rezekne Civil Registry Office, the number of newborns in the city has decreased from 377 in 2012 to 237 in 2025 — a decrease of 37.1%. Over the past five years, the total number of children in preschool institutions has decreased by 22.8%. In 'Winnie the Pooh', the number of children has decreased from 107 in the 2019/2020 school year to 68 in the 2026/2027 school year. This is one of the lowest figures among city kindergartens. At the same time, there are currently 151 available places for children aged one and a half to seven years in the preschools of Rezekne, including 22 places in 'Winnie the Pooh'. The council believes that the existing network of kindergartens has more places than required, considering the current and projected demand. ### The Cost of Maintaining One Child Can Amount to 574 Euros per Month Another argument from the city authorities is the costs of maintaining the institution. According to the municipality's calculations, in 2026, the expenses for one child in 'Winnie the Pooh' will amount to 460.24 euros per month. Preliminary estimates suggest that this amount could increase to 574 euros, which would be the second highest figure among municipal kindergartens in Rezekne. Additional expenses are associated with the need to repair the building. 'Winnie the Pooh' remains the only municipal kindergarten in the city that has not undergone renovation and has not implemented energy efficiency measures. The building needs an update of the heating, water supply, and other engineering systems. Moreover, the State Construction Control Bureau (BVKB) previously identified risks related to the safe operation of the building. However, the BVKB did not prohibit the use of the kindergarten building. The bureau explained that they could allow its operation but were not entitled to compel the owner to resume the institution's activities. ### 1.9 Million Euros Were Previously Planned for Repairs The renovation project for the kindergarten was prepared back in 2020. It was planned to allocate 1.9 million euros from European Union funds for its implementation. However, the Central Finance and Contracts Agency suspended funding due to suspicions of a possible conflict of interest. Subsequently, these suspicions were not confirmed, but the initially allocated European funds can no longer be utilized. Now the municipality proposes to redirect the funds allocated for the maintenance of 'Winnie the Pooh' in 2026 to repair and improve the technical condition of the kindergartens to which its children will be transferred. Previously, the chairman of the Rezekne City Council, Janis Tutin, commenting on parents' concerns about the possible sale of the building, acknowledged that due to demographic changes, the city would likely have to reconsider the network of educational institutions. According to him, there were already no queues for kindergartens in Rezekne this year. The final decision on the reorganization of 'Winnie the Pooh' is to be made by the deputies on Friday, October 23, at the council meeting, which will begin at 9:00.