Crystal Lake preschool avoids shutdown after finding new home at local church

The future of Crystal Lake-based Purple Moose Enrichment Preschool was uncertain when operators learned they could not renew their lease for the next school year. But the preschool will remain in town after finding a new home just 4 miles away.

Starting this summer, Purple Moose will operate at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ located at 485 W. Woodstock Street. The preschool received the surprising news in January that its lease at the current church would not be renewed.

Purple Moose had been leasing from Shiloh Church for seven years and has been in the community for 39 years. The school previously rented from St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Crystal Lake.

Purple Moose Director Anna Linscheid officially signed the new lease last week and aims to move in May, she said. “The location was perfect, and the congregation was so eager and so excited to have something new in their building,” she said.

St. Paul’s Church reached out to Purple Moose after hearing about its sudden need for a home. The Montessori school housed at the church had just shut down due to low enrollment, Pastor Bob Wang said. Having Purple Moose move in, Wang said, is a “win-win” opportunity to further serve the community outside of church practices.

“It was on our agenda in the next year to explore the possibility of opening another preschool because we’ve got a phenomenal space there,” he said. “It was literally plopped in our lap.”

The church is also open to connect further with the community. The church’s large outdoor space could be utilized in a partnership with fellow organizations or businesses, Wang said.

Purple Moose staff hopes to raise $3,000 to cover moving costs and new storage equipment. The school will host two fundraisers this spring, including a donation drive with Saver’s. Dates and details will be posted on the Purple Moose Facebook page once everything is finalized, Linscheid said.

“That would really offset a lot of our costs for what we need to do for the move,” she said.

An open house is tentatively planned for April 27, Linscheid said. In the meantime, the preschool is also in need of volunteers and boxes for the move, which Linscheid expects to be a lot of work. “It’s better than having a garage sale,” she said. “It’s more exciting than printing the ‘going out of business’ fliers.”

Parent Matthew Sommerfield, who was helping with Purple Moose find a new home, will be right next door at the Gospel Collective church. “I’m excited that the relationship will continue just based off of proximity,” he said. “It worked out. It’s kind of a neat thing.”

The nonprofit preschool serves almost 100 children ages 2 to 6 and has 13 employees. The enrichment part of the school means each month the school focuses on a specific theme, such as the human body or dinosaurs.

So far, parent turnout for next year’s registration was “positive,” Linscheid said. She plans to resume normal operations of summer camp and the next school year. “Everybody was so thrilled that we found a spot because it was such a long shot,” she said. “Come bust down our door; we’re ready for you.”