This article headline was updated on Oct. 3 and now includes the letter from the city to PPS outlining the terms of the transition period.
Piedmont Play School, the parent co-op preschool located at 401 Hampton on Hampton Field, will need to find a new home next June as the city says its facilities are strained and it needs the space for other programming. The school was founded in 1948 and first started out in Piedmont Community Church and later Wildwood Elementary School according to the school’s website. The school has been at its current location for the last 25 years.
In a statement on Tuesday, the city said:
For decades, Piedmont Play School has played an important role in our community, providing generations of young Piedmonters a nurturing space to grown, learn, and thrive. The City deeply appreciates this long history of service.
At the same time, the City is facing severe facility constraints. The need for programming space is so acute that we are now paying to rent space from private parties to meet community demand for service. The status quo is neither sustainable nor fair to taxpayers. Full-time use of the 401 Hampton building will provide badly-needed flexibility as we work to balance a complex network of programming needs and maximize use of all available public facilities.
In 1999, the City entered into a legal agreement with Piedmont Play School granting the Play School use of the 401 Hampton building at no cost for 25 years and six months – through June 2025. In recognition of Piedmont Play School’s value to the community and to support a smooth transition, the City has provided a 12-month transition period – a full year beyond the terms of the agreement.
Current and former members of the parent co-op community spoke to the City Council on Sept. 15 to ask the city to reconsider their plan and asked for a public hearing of the issue, which was considered in closed session.
“One hundred thirty families have added their name to a letter [in support]. I believe that as more members of the alumni community become aware of this issue, that support will grow. Please reconsider the decision to evict Piedmont Play School from 401 Hampton,” said Samantha Nobles Block, a PUSD parent and current member of the Piedmont Play School Executive Board, a group composed of PPS alumni families.
On Sept. 22 the city sent a formal letter to the school saying it would not consider extending the use agreement:
The City of Piedmont recognizes the important role that Piedmont Play School has played in the lives of children and their families while operating for the last 25 years at the Hampton Field site. While change is undoubtedly difficult, it is necessary. The City has worked in earnest on a plan that is sensitive to the Play School community’s transition needs.
This letter aims to formally convey as you have previously acknowledged: the Piedmont Play School’s Use Agreement has expired. The City will not be revisiting the subject of an extended term. The City will, however, permit the Play School to continue to use the site for a period of twelve months beyond the expiration date under certain conditions defined below:
Sept. 22, 2025 letter to PPS Board of Directors President Juliana Weber from City of Piedmont Administrator Rosanna Bayon Moore.
• The City will apply no use charges between the expiration date of June 16, 2025 and December 31, 2025.
• As of January 1, 2026, the City will assess use fees at $37/hr for scheduled program hours, excluding any holidays and school breaks, which shall be paid no later than the 5th of each month.
• The Play School’s current certificate of insurance with general liability coverage of no less than $3M per occurrence, including an additional insured endorsement, shall be immediately provided.
• The City reserves the right to use the space for compatible programming outside of Play School program hours.
• All Play School materials and equipment shall be removed from the premises by no later than June 15, 2026.
*This article was updated on Oct. 3, 2025: Samantha Nobles Block is a current member of the Piedmont Playschool Executive Board, not a former board member as originally stated.