ST, CHARLES, Mo. – There were no children out on the playground Wednesday at Waverly Forest Academy in St. Charles, and there won’t be for the remainder of the week.
Waverly Forest shared new schedule changes for February with parents Saturday. Then, parents were notified Sunday that school would be canceled Monday due to teacher illnesses and personal circumstances. When Monday came around, parents got another note saying the facility would be closed the rest of the week.
“It’s just a nightmare for so many families,” Lauren Spink, parent of a former Waverly Forest student, said.
Spink keeps in touch with several parents who have children attending the daycare and says they are frustrated with the lack of communication and notice.
“One mom has her child’s coat there and still hasn’t been able to come and get it. (She) showed up yesterday afternoon around 4 p.m., and nobody was there in the building,” Spink said.
People were seen by the FOX 2 team moving furniture back into the building Wednesday and having lunch delivered. However, nobody answered the door when met with questions.
Renee Knobbe, owner of Waverly Forest, declined an on-air interview.
“We made the decision to close our center this week due to many members of our staff being sick with various illnesses or being unable to work due to a child or dependent being ill. As a Missouri licensed center, we must maintain mandated teacher to child ratios,” Knobbe said in a statement. “When it became apparent we would not be able to meet this requirement, we made the responsible decision to close for one week. We will open Monday and are exceptionally excited to get back to the business of helping children grow.”
Some parents have made the decision not to bring their kids back to Waverly Forest after this week. Knobbe informed the parents that they can pick up their children’s items and a tuition reimbursement Friday.
