CAIRO, IL (WSIL) � An early education center in Cairo needs to be relocated. Southern 7 Health Department says it’s because of issues with the building.
The building was installed in 1999 and even with a shelf life of only 10 years, the Southern 7 has used the module building to house its head start program. Now, officials are preparing to relocate, leaving parents wondering, where?
“It was never our intention to shut that service down in Cairo,� said Southern 7 executive Director Rhonda Ray.
But as of Aug. 4, that’s exactly what’s going to happen � if it’s only temporary. The plan is open at a new location, but Ray says, a new building has yet to be secured.
The Southern 7 announced earlier this week their intention to close down the Cairo Head Start building because of safety issues.
“We did that to assure it’s a safe environment for the children, it’s a healthy environment for the children and also for our staff,� said the Early Childhood administrator for the Southern Seven, Jennifer Parks.
Officials with the Southern 7 attempted to explain their reasonings for their decisions during a meeting Wednesday afternoon in Cairo.
“We’re looking for buildings,� said Ray. “We’re looking to relocate.�
Officials also tried to answer questions from concerned parents, but what resulted � was more confusion than before.
One parent said during the meeting, “If you’ve been inspecting these buildings on a monthly, there is no way it should have been in that kind of shape.�
An inspection was done in March and as a result, it was estimated the building would cost more than 1 million dollars to fix the issues, and officials with the Southern 7 say that’s not something they’re able to do.
“We never expected there to be a million-dollar price tag,� confessed Ray.
Some didn’t buy the reasonings the Southern 7 is giving to close the building.
“The truth is not being told and it’s not new,� said one concerned Southern 7 employee.
Things got so contentious, Ray abruptly ended the meeting. Afterward, she expressed her frustrations with having to do so.
“I was hoping to garner support and get people together and generate ideas for a place to move to, but it didn’t turn out that way.�
