Students are without their preschool after it was stolen from an Aurora parking lot. You Be You Early Learning is Colorado’s first nonprofit, mobile preschool, and teacher-led cooperative.
One of their schools on wheels was taken and recovered, but it’ll be a while before students are back inside.
You Be You provides personalized, community-engaged learning for children in their own backyards.
When CBS News Colorado spoke with the executive director last year, You Be You had two buses in Aurora and was working to add a third.
“Many people don’t have access to early childhood education over here. The people here were very excited to have this because we offered this for free,” said Brown.
Their preschool RV went missing from a parking lot at 30th Avenue and Peoria Street on March 13.
Denver police recovered the RV two days later.
The wheels on the bus still go around, but it’s far from kid-friendly.
“They advised us to do drug tests. The RV was positive for fentanyl,” said Brown.
A DetectaChem Report shows traces of the deadly drug and substance abuse throughout the camper.
It’s unsafe for anyone to go inside.
Javier Lastres, teacher and Associate Director at You Be You Early Learning, says he was worried as the RV had been tampered with before.
“They compromised everyone’s health, our children, our teachers, our staff. That’s just not fair,” said Lastres. “I’m just glad this didn’t happen with kids and other people around. That’s what scares me a little bit.”
When You Be You gets the RV back, they’ll find it a safer home at night.
What won’t come back are instruction materials and newly purchased bikes for students.
Brown says it’ll likely be sometime in May before the RV is safe for kids and staff to use again.
“Lucky for us, they have a community room here at the housing authority. We can transfer our school over there for now until the RV comes back,” said Brown.
Brown says You Be You purchased an additional bus and they’re looking to put it in another underserved area in Aurora. She’s looking for suggestions from the community.
For more information visit the You Be You Early Learning website.
