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District debates future of Early Head Start partnership as SAP 3 review begins
Summary
District staff presented options to continue, shorten or end a 10-year subrecipient relationship with the Infant Welfare Society of Evanston as part of a larger SAP 3 review of 0–5 programming and early childhood expansion; board members asked for more time and clearer timelines before deciding.
Evanston school district leaders presented three options for the district’s subrecipient contract with the Infant Welfare Society of Evanston (IWSE), an Early Head Start partner, as part of the district’s SAP 3 review of early childhood programming.
The district framed the matter as a choice among renewing the five-year contract, extending it for one year while the district completes SAP 3 and structural deficit planning, or ending the partnership this school year; staff emphasized risks tied to enrollment shortfalls, federal grant uncertainty and legal/reputational disputes that have arisen during the 10-year relationship.
District staff said the review grew out of two factors: (1) a routine five‑year federal grant renewal cycle for the Early Head Start award, which requires clarity about subrecipient arrangements when the district files its application; and (2) the district’s concurrent structural deficit reduction planning, which increases sensitivity to long-term financial commitments. Dr. Shamika McCoy summarized the evaluation and said under-enrollment and health‑services compliance are principal compliance risks when a district manages subrecipient funds. Principal Parham and members of the grant compliance team (Alexandra Ware and Katrina Jones) reviewed historical points of friction and the operational burdens of sustaining a subrecipient relationship during budget stress.
Representatives of Infant Welfare Society of Evanston spoke during public comment. Diana Newton, director of communications and development at IWSE, described the organization’s 112‑year history, its early‑childhood services for vulnerable families in Evanston and Skokie, long staff tenures at the agency and its role in delivering family‑focused services that the district does not provide in-house. Newton asked the board to consider the local value of the partnership and the agency’s capacity to help during federal funding instability.
Board members expressed a consensus that immediate termination of the partnership (option 3) would be disruptive for families and staff. Several trustees said they were open to a shorter extension than the standard five‑year renewal to preserve flexibility while SAP 3 completes its recommendations. Board members asked staff to present an additional option — a two‑year extension with a firm decision point — and for staff to clarify the precise grant deadlines and the dates by which IWSE would need notice to apply independently for federal funds.
Staff said the Early Head Start grant application would be due to the federal agency in March–April and that subrecipient identity and service‑area details must be set when the application is filed. District staff also warned that a five‑year commitment could create heavy financial risk if federal funding were reduced or eliminated.
The board did not vote on the subrecipient arrangement at the Feb. 10 meeting. Trustees asked staff to return to the board with a revised set of options (including a potential two‑year extension with a clear decision point) and a timeline that accounts for grant filing deadlines and the district’s structural deficit process.
The board and staff said they expect SAP 3 work — including community engagement about full‑day expansion of early childhood seats — to continue through March and into the summer, with any recommendation for long‑term changes returned to the board before new contracts are finalized.
