Head Start monthly report: enrollment steady at 107, corrective actions due Jan. 30

Boulder County Head Start staff reported on Jan. 21 that program enrollment in January stood at 107 of 110 funded slots and that the program is meeting the county’s internal threshold for maintaining funding eligibility.

Akane O’Brien, Head Start division manager, told commissioners the program must maintain at least 97% enrollment (106 children) to be in good standing; at 107 students in January the program remained above that threshold. O’Brien said the family services team is actively working to fill the remaining slots.

O’Brien provided December meal and attendance figures: 4,662 meals delivered and 3,386 meals served based on attendance. The December invoice for meals was $12,913.74, with CACFP reimbursement of $9,553.70, leaving a net program cost of $3,360.44 for the month. O’Brien said averages and reconciled figures are being prepared through December and described a projected carry‑in balance of about $37,000 to the next school year.

On grants and budgets, O’Brien said the program submitted its five‑year competitive Head Start grant application (covering the school years beginning August 2025 through 2030) to the Office of Head Start on Jan. 3 after receiving board and Policy Council approvals in December 2024. She added that the program submitted a Buhl Foundation grant application to fund early childhood mental‑health consultation on Jan. 15. O’Brien said the Office of Head Start typically takes 90–120 days to act on competitive grant awards.

The report also summarized federal monitoring issues from an earlier review: four noncompliance notices issued May 31, 2024 in the areas of background checks, staff credentials, eligibility calculations and medical/dental screenings. O’Brien said the corrective action period for those findings ends Jan. 30 and that the Office of Head Start will conduct a virtual monitoring visit in February focused on documentation and data (rather than classroom observations).

Commissioners asked whether an awarded five‑year grant would guarantee funding for the full period; O’Brien cautioned that awardees still must maintain program standards and enrollment to preserve funding, and that other external factors can affect federal appropriations.

O’Brien closed by noting ongoing monitoring efforts with the regional Head Start training team, a focus on family services and education services, and staff professional development in early childhood classroom safety and responding to challenging behaviors. Commissioners thanked Head Start staff for the monthly report and for their work during recent weather impacts.

The board did not take any formal action on the Head Start report during the meeting; the report was received for the record.