INDIANAPOLIS – The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis has permanently closed its preschool, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was a very difficult decision,” Children’s Museum of Indianapolis President and CEO Jeffrey Patchen said Tuesday. “It was a multifaceted decision that was based on operational health.”
Patchen said since the latest reports from the CDC show that COVID-19 will be a problem for at least the rest of the year, many families couldn’t commit to a 2020-2021 preschool tuition.
He also said the cost of putting new necessary protocols in place became cost prohibitive. Those protocols would include smaller class sizes, additional teachers and more classroom space.
There are no plans to reopen the preschool after the pandemic, he said.
Patchen said the museum is on track to lose between $4 million and $7 million as a result of COVID-19, so efforts have to go toward making the exhibits more resistant to the virus.
The rest of the museum remains closed until further notice.
