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AUSTIN — The Austin Public Schools’ Community Learning Center won’t have a full swing of students this school year. Instead, CLC students will move classrooms due to bats inside the building.
With the bats, students have no classes from Sept. 1-12 and classrooms are transitioning to elementary buildings throughout the district. The Learning Center offers Early Childhood Family Education, Early Childhood Special Education, Austin Adult Learning and Kids Korner preschool and child care.
The CLC building will remain closed for the school year. The change comes with an “abundance of caution,” according to communication shared with CLC families. Students have not been impacted by health or safety issues due to the bats.
Superintendent Joey Page noted 300 students and staff are directly impacted by the building change, along with additional family members and caregivers.
“Our staff is getting that stuff packed up and then identified to which location they’re going to be moving to,” said Page.
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Students and staff will adjust to their new learning spaces starting on Sept. 13, with families receiving classroom locations early next week. Transportation updates will also be shared by Sept. 9. Page said families' responses have focused on these logistical questions. The Kids Korner closed Sept. 1-2 and will reopen Sept. 6 at the Woodson Kindergarten Center.
The district started classes Monday and the CLC started on Aug. 30.
“The first week is always exciting as the buildings fill up and come back to life, and to see all of our students,” said Page. “It’s been a good week, I think, for all of us, aside from what we’re having to do here. But we’re working proactively and positively and quickly to get the programs relocated.”
