COLUMBIA — After 15 years of operation, the Sylvan Learning Center in Columbia closed last week because of financial problems, according to a news release from owner Jack Stanley.
On Saturday morning, the center appeared vacant, with untouched newspapers on the front entryway and window blinds sealed shut. The sign posted on the locked front door read, “Sylvan Learning Center is closed….If you have any other questions contact us in writing.” Phone calls to the center go straight to the answering machine.
In the press release, Stanley says he was forced to close the center because he could no longer maintain its operating costs. He declined further comment.
The Sylvan Learning Center in Jefferson City, owned by Stanley, shut down recently as well, according to a report from KRCG. Stanley also owns or owned six other Sylvan Learning Centers, the report states.
Parents with children currently enrolled in the centers’ programs will receive written notices with further contact information, the release states. Stanley has not made any other comments about refunds or reimbursements for classes paid for up front.