Boys & Girls Club's plan to stay open next week is overruled

By Doug Spoon, Editor

Boys & Girls Club of Menifee Valley officials, who were making plans to fill the needs of working parents during school closures, were told tonight their club is required to close as well because concerns over the coronavirus.

John Whann, executive director of the club, said he was informed of the required closing by officials of the Menifee Union School District, which owns the buildings leased by the club in the former Menifee Elementary School. He said members of the club's Board of Directors had decided earlier in the day to stay open for a mini-camp daily from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., then re-evaluate the situation next week.

"Unfortunately, we have been informed by the Menifee School District to close the Club until further notice," Whann wrote in an email sent to regular club members and those who had expressed interest in the program. "In the meantime, we are advising all our Club staff, families, and youth to continue to take precautions as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We deeply apologize for the inconvenience and we will keep you posted if anything changes."

Before that announcement, Whann told Menifee 24/7 he had hoped the club could provide services for those who needed it, offering financial assistance and capping daily attendance at 200. The club's normal attendance for before- and after-school programs is between 300 and 400.

"We're fully committed to our families and children in the area, and we want to do everything possible to help," Whann said before the closure was announced. "We know there are a lot of single-parent families and families where both parents work."