LEBANON — A long-running preschool will close its doors this summer due to the combined challenges of finding staff, a recent building flood and the upcoming retirement of its director.

Carter Community Building Association, or CCBA, a nonprofit recreation organization, notified families in December that it will end its preschool program of 25 years at the end of June.

“We recognize this is disruptive to your family’s early childhood education plans,” CCBA said in a recent letter to families. “We know that there is no ideal time to share tough news, however we wanted to give you as much notice as possible to start to look for new school options for next school year.”

According to the letter, the scarcity of early childhood educators, including lead teachers, has strained the CCBA’s preschool operation for much of the last decade.

“And we are not alone — preschool staffing is a (statewide) and nationwide problem,” CCBA Kerry Artman told the Valley News in an email.

The preschool, which serves children from ages 2 through 5, operates during the typical academic year from September through June.

Parents told the Valley News that they were saddened by the decision.

“But I (also) think it’s understandable,” said parent Katie Moulton. “The whole area is having trouble finding child care staff.”

Larry Wainwright, of Plainfield, expressed gratitude for the preschool, which has given his daughter a strong learning foundation to facilitate her transition to kindergarten in the fall.

“We were so lucky to be able to enroll our daughter there this year,” Wainwright said. “It’s a fabulous program, and the teacher interactions with the children have been great. I just feel bad for the parents whose children won’t be able to finish” their remaining years of preschool there.

Director Eileen Urquhart, who created the program in 1999, has announced plans to retire at the end of this current school year.

Urquhart declined a request for an interview.

In October, the preschool space, which is located in the basement of the Carter Community Building on Campbell Street, incurred significant flooding as a result of a water main break in the building.

“The catastrophic damage will require months of repairs,” according to a CCBA newsletter in November. “We will need to replace the hot water heater, Sheetrock, carpeting, flooring, appliances, bathroom vanities, cabinets and storage systems, computers, books and school supplies.”

The preschool has since been moved to the first floor of the building.

The combination of the flood, Urquhart’s pending retirement and the ongoing staffing challenges were the drivers of CCBA’s decision to end the program.

“We understand this is hard news, and we hope you know that this is not a decision we came to easily,” CCBA said in its letter to families.

Staffing shortages in child care, driven largely by low wages in the industry, strain preschool programs financially as well as operationally. Because child care providers must adhere to staff-to-child ratios set by their state, a lack of staff might prevent a program accepting new students, which limits revenue.

CCBA’s preschool closure will further reduce the Upper Valley’s supply of child care slots.

Last year, city officials said the Upper Valley is estimated to need at least 2,000 additional child care openings.

To help address this demand, the city is partnering with a nonprofit to build and operate a center on city-owned land that will provide early childhood care and infant care for up to 200 children.

The facility, estimated to cost $22 million to construct, will be largely funded through donations and grants, including Community Development Block Grants, or CDBGs, a federal program to support local community-based projects such as affordable housing, infrastructure development and anti-poverty initiatives.

City Manager Shaun Mulholland said in an email on Tuesday that the city has been reaching out to potential donors, but construction cannot proceed until the project is fully funded.

Patrick Adrian may be reached at padrian@vnews.com or 603-727-3216.