The sudden closure of the Oprah Winfrey Boys & Girls Club on Knox Road is no reason for concern according to Ricky Hood, chief professional officer of the club.
A notice announcing the club’s closure was posted online Sunday evening with no other information provided, leading to much concern and many questions from the community.
Hood told The Star-Herald during a phone interview Tuesday that they expect to reopen the facility and restart programs on Thursday or Friday of this week.
Hood said the eight clubs in this cluster are undergoing a routine program audit by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America early this week, but that such an audit does not require the clubs to be closed. Six of the eight clubs, including the Kosciusko club, were closed for the early part of this week related to this matter. The other two — in Walnut Grove and Carthage — are school-based and have been closed since the beginning of the pandemic.
This is the second time in 10 years that the club has been selected for an audit, he said.
According to Hood, with the Kosciusko schools just heading back to in-person learning after COVID caused virtual-only teaching in recent weeks, it seemed best to shutter the club until Thursday or Friday to ensure the facility is prepared to restart programs, especially in light of the pandemic. He said lower registration for the after-school programs due to COVID concerns families have was also a factor in the decision-making.
“We just want to be sure that everyone is safe,” he said. “We just want to make sure we have our Is dotted and our Ts crossed."
Parents of children who were registered for the after-school programs at the club were notified Sunday night, though club personnel began discussing the potential closure Friday, Hood said.
“We’re not afraid of the virus, but we have respect for it,” said Hood, noting that most children who attend club programs are under the age where they can be vaccinated.
Despite the temporary closure, Hood said the Kosciusko club is still providing about 200 meals per day to families in need, including delivery of some to homes. He said the club hopes to get back to providing up to 500 meals per day as they have in the past. Similar programs at the other cluster clubs are also unaffected by the closure.
The temporary closure is also not affecting the Kosciusko School District’s work on the building's second floor, which is slated to house the Alternative School starting this fall.
Superintendent Billy Ellzey said the work of installing desks built for the space is underway and the district will move the school’s staff and students into the space as soon as the work is complete.
