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Facility set to open Monday, Aug. 19
The Columbus Boys and Girls Club still face uncertainty as their search for a director and staff members continues.
No new hires have been made since the announcement on Facebook July 31 that the opening of the Columbus Boys and Girls Club for the 2024-2025 school year on Wednesday, Aug. 14, would be delayed due to a shortage of staff.
“The Boys and Girls Columbus Club will have a delayed opening this semester due to a shortage in staff,” said the Facebook post. “We are working to fill these positions. An opening date announcement will be made once the team is fully trained and prepared to serve the youth of our community.”
“Oh no,” commented Laura Taylor on the club’s Facebook announcement.
The initial opening date correlated with the first day of the school year in Columbus ISD Aug. 14. Despite no new hires, the new opening date for the 2024-2025 school year will be next Monday, Aug. 19.
Nancy Stiles, board member for the Columbus Boys and Girls Club, says the club are aware of the uncertainty surrounding their current state and are working hard to bring operations back up to speed for the families in need.
“We know there are many families and kids who need the Columbus Boys and Girls Club from the moment school starts,” says Stiles. “And are doing everything we can to open our doors as soon as possible.”
Morgan Barten, another board member and Vice President of resource and development for the organization says they are actively interviewing candidates to fulfill the vacant positions. She says the club has never been put in such a binding position, highlighting how the previous director, Royce Caldwell, left his role with a week and a half’s notice.
“We are still actively interviewing,” said Barten. “The Columbus club director will hire the staff and the personnel for the operations, but I don’t know how many staff members that is."
Barten says the club realize how severe the situation is due to the club’s importance to the surrounding area and ask that people understand the problem is not just a “overnight fix.” “We realize the severity of it all,” said Barten. “How important the club is to Columbus. I do not want people to think it is going to be an overnight fix when it is not. But at the same time, we are doing everything to ensure it is not going to be closed any longer."
