The results are in and was named the best preschool in town in this week's Readers' Choice Los Gatos Patch poll.
and edged out Shir Hadash Early Childhood Center, which also had a strong showing.
Growing FootPrints Director Cory Mullins was excited with the results and said the preschool has been operating for 18 years and is licensed to have 84 children, but generally its enrollment is about 70.
Mullins, who's been the director of Growing FootPrints for 16 years, said the Los Gatos Patch recognition is the first media award she's received since the preschool opened its doors for business.
She said one of the preschool board members told other fellow members about it who then spread the word to parents to get them to vote. The effort paid off.
Of the 127 votes received, Growing FootPrints got 42 of them, followed by Shir Hadash Early Childhood Center who got 32 votes, or 25 percent and Shannon Nursery School, which received 25 votes, or 19 percent.
The poll included 16 total schools that we know about that are serving children ages 2 to 6 years old.
"We're very popular in the area, we just don't really advertise. We just go by word of mouth. We're kind of spoiled that way. Our parents love us," Mullins added.
The preschool is an outreach program of the , but its program is non-sectarian. About 10 percent of the enrollment is from the church community.
"I'm excited. I'm so proud of my parents, good for them," she exclaimed upon hearing the news. "We're family supported. We have families that have had up to five children come through our program. They spread the word everywhere."
Please review Growing FootPrints or any of the other preschools listed in the poll on Los Gatos Patch's Places page.
Coming Monday: Los Gatos Patch is looking for the "Best place to celebrate St. Patrick's Day." The voting begins at 9 a.m. on Monday.
