By Charlotte Rutigliano
For the past three years, the university has been operating two different child care centers, one located on campus at the corner of 14th and B streets and the other at the end of 10th street.
According to Steve St. Onge, director of Housing and Residence Life and manager of the children’s centers on campus, the centers have been running on a deficit budget for about three years. The deficit is caused by the extra expenses from the 10th street center, which is why the university has made the decision to close the children’s center on 10th Street on May 12.
“With the overhead, administrative costs, the cost for teachers benefits and salaries, we could not make that extra center work,” St. Onge said.
In a press release issued by the university, the total number of children served at the 14th street center will drop from 122 to 88.
Kaila Swearington is senior child development major who worked at the 10th street location “I was really angry,” Swearington said.
The 14th street location will still stay open and serve 88 children. According to St. Onge this close will have more of an impact on the community members who use this university services because current students, faculty, and staff have higher priority.
St. Onge said the goal is to not negatively impact students, faculty, and staffs who need the service so they can keep up doing the good work that they’re doing at HSU.
“We really have to focus on our values, the reasons that we exist,” St. Onge said, “and that is to support the academic success of our students on campus.”
