The planetarium in Arlington, once in danger of a permanent shut down this year, will remain open.
The superintendent of Arlington County schools, Patrick Murphy, said that plans to close the center for astronomy and eduction are being scrapped, the Sun Gazette reported. The planetarium is run by the local school system.
The county budget will include funds this year for refurbishing the 45-year-old facility.
A group of citizens banded together to raise money for the David M. Brown Planetarium, which had been falling into disrepair for lack of maintenance. The group says that it has raised over $286,000 since last fall, with a goal of reaching $400,000 by the start of the summer.
"Fund-raising has been extremely successful," the superintendent told school board members on Friday, the Gazette reported. "We'll be able to move forward here with a renovation."
