By Joe Johnson
An Athens childcare facility that has provided daycare and preschool services for more than 40 years will be closing its doors the day after Thanksgiving.
Knowledge Seekers Academy on North Harris Street has served primarily low-income minority families.
The weekly rate was $155 for infants and toddlers and $74 a week for afterschool care, about half the cost of many similar local facilities, according to KSA’s assistant director Sara Griffin.
Classic City News learned about KSA's impending closing on Monday, from angry social media posts by parents and employees who are scrambling to find daycare and new jobs.
“I am very angry, not just for our situation but for the close to 50 families & teachers & employees whose lives are being thrown into chaos because of this heartless decision,” one parent wrote on her personal Facebook page.
“Why do they have to kick them out immediately? Why not wait ’til the new year? Just put people out of their jobs at Thanksgiving? Heartless . What is happening to our town?”
The facility that was built in 1975 and formerly called Magic Years of Learning, is closing due to an Oct. 1 bank foreclosure, according to Athens-Clarke County Tax Assessor’s Office records.
KSA’s property was purchased on Oct. 14 by CCC Real Estate Holding Co. LLC, which has addresses in Delaware and Lake Success, NY.
No one could be contacted at CCC for comment on what is intended for the North Harris Street property.
The county’s chief appraiser, Kirk Dunagan, said he hadn’t heard what the new owner’s plans are for the .6-acre commercial tract.
Griffin said that KSA officials only learned on Wednesday that the property had been sold and that it must close its doors by next Friday.
She said employees and parents were immediately notified.
“We gave as much notice as humanly possible,” Griffin said