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Office of Head Start reduces RPS grant by $1.1 million over under-enrollment; district prepares appeal
Summary
Richmond's Head Start program was told the Office of Head Start will deduct $1.1 million from the division's grant because of under-enrollment and attendance shortfalls; district officials said they are preparing a 30-day appeal.
Richmond Public Schools' Head Start director and policy council representatives told the school board that the Office of Head Start has reduced the district's grant by $1,100,000 because the program was underenrolled.
A presenter said the reduction followed federal review of enrollment and attendance; the Office of Head Start requires programs to maintain near-full enrollment and 97% daily attendance. The presenter told the board the program is currently underenrolled and that the Office of Head Start has moved the division's previously requested slot reduction from 200 to 101 in its communications.
The district said it has 30 days to file an appeal of the $1,100,000 removal; staff are preparing an appeal and will revise a refunding application to reflect the federal office's current slot number. The policy council is meeting to discuss options, including whether to accept the lower slot count or continue seeking the larger reduction originally proposed by the district.
Why it matters: A reduction of this size would reduce services and funding available to enrolled families and affect the Head Start budget and programming for the coming year. Speakers said the program must also improve daily attendance and preserve a waiting list to retain funding eligibility.
What the board did: The board accepted the Head Start report and quality-improvement plan as presented. Members asked for additional updates; one board member suggested joint governance training so the policy council and school board can better coordinate decisions.
Next steps: District staff said they will submit an appeal to the Office of Head Start, revise the refunding application to match the federal office's numbers and pursue strategies to boost enrollment and attendance before the July 1 deadline.
