La Escuelita San Marcos

La Escuelita San Marcos (LESM) has served the Spanish-speaking children of North Mecklenburg and their families for the past 8 years. LESM is the only bilingual parent cooperative preschool in North Mecklenburg. Primary services include a premium Reggio Emilia inspired curriculum for ages 2-5 and the Mama Maestra program, which empowers families inside the classroom as teachers and volunteers. Tuition is kept low to ensure affordability for families.

COVID-19 Impact on Students and Families
La Escuelita San Marcos serves an already vulnerable population that is reeling from the impacts of COVID-19. Most families have lost wages, face increased needs and do not have proper health coverage. Some families are not eligible for disaster funding, for example, preschoolers without school aged siblings are not eligible for broadband internet relief appropriated for K-12. Nearly half of LESM students and their families lack the technology needed to support remote learning at home.

LESM will need to make adaptations to its largest upcoming fundraising event due to social distancing, resulting in a likely financial shortfall. LESM is also facing icreased spending to ensure an optimal safe and secure reopening in the fall and a robust virtual learning backup program.