BATON ROUGE - Head Start locations across East Baton Rouge Parish are closed Thursday to allow for maintenance and repair work to each center's air conditioning. 

According to a news release from the Office of EBR Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome, the decision to close each location was made "out of an abundance of caution and in the best interest of children, families and staff."

Six of the ten schools are reporting A/C issues.

The news release goes on to say that, "all Head Start Centers will close immediately for facilities maintenance and repair work to air conditioning and ventilation systems."

Authorities say the Head Start Program will inform parents of reopening dates. 

Monday, about 1,000 Head Start students went back to class for the first time since the pandemic started. The program has been making temporary repairs to the ventilation and air conditioning units in many of the buildings since July.

"We really didn't fully understand the full extent of it until teachers had gotten in there and were in individual classes," said City-Parish Chief Communications Officer Mark Armstrong.

The parish says parts have been ordered but they are taking some time coming in. The hope is to eventually replace the units at all ten schools.

Any missed time will be addressed throughout the school year.

The Head Start Program is a government-sponsored entity created to assist children between the ages of three and five.

It provides these students with a pre-school curriculum designed to enhance their cognitive, language, literacy, social, and emotional development.   

Click here for more information on the Head Start Program in Baton Rouge.