Head Start program closed at least through Tuesday because of COVID

By WVUA 23 News Reporter Elise Anzaldua

Community Service Programs of West Alabama has temporarily closed all Head Start programs until next week because of a rise in COVID-19 cases among students and faculty.

But if all goes according to plan, they’ll be reopening Tuesday after the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

CSP Executive Director Cynthia Burton said it’s much harder teaching students with so many staff members absent.

“We also had substitutes calling in with positive COVID results,” Burton said. “We got to the point where we could not provide quality services with or without certified teachers. We spoke with our regional office and they agreed we should close.”

The temporary closure is affecting all seven sites in the six-county CSP Head Start coverage area.

In the next few days, the board will make another assessment and determine if the closure should be extended.