After 13 years of serving Garden Island families, A Room to Grow Preschool in Līhuʻe closed its doors on July 15 following a series of robberies and the destruction of playground equipment.
The school now is preparing to reopen under a new name and ownership.
Valeria Rita, who founded and operated the preschool, said the school experienced five robberies during its time in operation: “Three at its original site and two at a second location.”
The second site eventually closed after the property was sold.
The most recent incident occurred in June 2026, when property was stolen and playground equipment was damaged or destroyed, Rita said. A police report was filed, and she said she is “still calculating the total value of the stolen and damaged property.”
The damage left portions of the playground unsafe for children and contributed to the decision to close the school, Rita said.
As she considered what to do next, Rita said she had spoken with her daughter, Kristy Linoz, and the two decided that Linoz would take over ownership, and they also agreed to change the schoolʻs name.
Rita plans to continue to be a part of the school, focusing on the daily operation of the classroom.
The school will now operate as Little Wonders Preschool, but Rita said the name change will not alter the school’s core approach.
Organizers thanked those who have donated for helping turn a crisis into a new beginning. (Photo Credit: A Place to Grow Preschool)- “No matter what happens from today, I am grateful for every day that I was able to do what I love, making a difference to others. I am blessed,” said Val Rita
- File: A Place to Grow
“The curriculum, philosophy, goals and focus remain the same,” Rita told Kauaʻi Now.
She described the program as a quality, play-based and child-directed learning environment focused on the development of the whole child, with social and emotional development as a starting point.
The school is currently working with the Hawaiʻi Department of Human Services as it seeks approval to reopen. Families and children are waiting for the preschool to resume operations, Rita said.
The preschool has a capacity of 24 children. But during the past year, enrollment was limited to 12 children because the school had only one full-time teacher.
“The immediate goal is to raise $2,000 to replace damaged and stolen playground equipment that is no longer safe, as well as to purchase classroom furnishings and other equipment needed to create a healthy learning environment,” Rita said.
Linoz said on the school’s GoFundMe page that every dollar raised will go toward the physical restoration of the preschool.
The fundraiser has raised $900 of its $2,000 goal.
One family has been helping with cleanup, removing unsafe playground equipment and purchasing replacement items, Rita said. While grateful for the support, she said she hopes the fundraiser can reduce the financial burden on that family.
Rita said the preschool’s goal is to create a place where children can explore, create, ask questions, experiment, take on challenges and learn through both independent and guided experiences.
“We want it to be a place where they are nurtured and loved,” Rita said.
The school’s children had their own name for the environment: “the ‘I can try’ school.”
Rita said that phrase will remain one of her lasting memories as she looks back on the preschool’s more than a decade of serving children and families.
“No matter what happens from today, I am grateful for every day that I was able to do what I love, making a difference to others,” she said. “I am blessed.”
