Major Reform of Kindergartens in Riga: Who Will Be Merged and Who Will Be Closed 0 21

This year, on August 31, it is planned to liquidate Riga's 8th preschool educational institution, transferring the implementation of general education programs to Riga's 197th preschool educational institution. Additionally, starting from September 1, the 197th preschool educational institution will be renamed Riga Daugavgrīva Preschool.

It is also planned to liquidate Riga's 232nd preschool educational institution on August 31, transferring the implementation of the general education program to the preschool educational institution "Rūķītis".

There are also plans to close the kindergarten "Liepiņa" with the transfer of program implementation to Riga's 169th preschool educational institution. After the reform, starting from September 1, the 169th institution will be called Riga Sarkandaugava Preschool.

The liquidation will also affect the 81st preschool institution — the programs will be implemented by "Kamolītis". After the liquidation of the 172nd kindergarten, the programs will be provided by Riga's 173rd preschool educational institution.

Starting from August 31, after the liquidation of Riga's 125th preschool institution, the general education programs will be implemented by the 229th preschool institution. In turn, the program of the liquidated Riga's 7th preschool institution will be provided by Riga's 41st preschool educational institution.

Riga's 104th kindergarten will be merged with the preschool institution "Kurzeme", and the kindergarten "Margrietiņa" will be merged with "Kamenīte". Riga's preschool institution "Zilbīte" will be merged with "Dzintariņš", the draft resolution stipulates.

The council also plans to reorganize Riga's 44th preschool educational institution and Riga's Grīziņkalns Preschool, merging them and creating a new institution at 13a Varna Street, named Riga Preschool Educational Institution "Grīziņkalns" starting from September 1.

There is also a planned reorganization of Riga's 132nd preschool educational institution "Ieviņa" and Riga's preschool institution "Sprīdītis" by merging them and creating a new institution at 16 Parslas Street under the name Riga Preschool Educational Institution "Pumpuriņi" starting from September 1.

Riga's 124th preschool educational institution "Dzērvenīte" and Riga's Ziepniekkalns Preschool will also be reorganized, merging them and creating a new institution — Riga Preschool Educational Institution "Ziepniekkalns" at 7 Svetes Street starting from September 1.

Furthermore, the council plans to determine that in 2027, Riga's preschool educational institution "Imanta" will be merged with Riga's preschool educational institution "Dardedze", evaluating the proposal for special preschool educational programs in the Imanta area. According to published information, both institutions implement special educational programs.

The Education, Culture, and Sports Committee of the Riga City Council will make a decision on these and other changes in the network of educational institutions in the capital at a meeting on Thursday, February 19, at 12:00. The corresponding decision must then be supported at the council meeting.

Earlier, Deputy Chairman of the Council Vilnis Kiršis stated that the planned changes in the network of municipal preschools in Riga will primarily affect areas such as Vecmilgrāvis, Ilguciems, and Kengarags.

He reported that ten kindergarten buildings are planned to be physically closed in Riga, and several other institutions will be reorganized, which means that kindergartens will remain in these locations, but their legal merger will save administrative resources. As an example, the vice-mayor cited two neighboring kindergartens at 126 and 126a Slokas Street, whose administrations and paperwork will be merged.

Kiršis emphasized that in cases where physical locations for service provision are maintained, parents should not worry, and where kindergartens will be completely closed, other preschool institutions are just a few blocks away.