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Board approves baseline Head Start and Early Head Start grant application for five‑year cycle
Summary
The board authorized submission of the Head Start/ Early Head Start baseline grant application for the federal 2025–2030 cycle; staff said grant awards make up roughly half of the district’s early‑childhood budget and that federal funding is flat for the coming cycle.
The Poudre School District Board on May 27 approved staff’s request to submit the baseline Head Start and Early Head Start grant application for the federal 2025–2030 cycle, a required five-year reset of the district’s Head Start funding.
A staff presenter described the application as the “baseline” step that initiates a new five‑year grant cycle (2025–2030). She told the board that Head Start awards account for a significant portion of the district’s early‑childhood funding and that this year the federal program is providing flat funding — no cost-of-living adjustment — for the coming grant cycle.
Key numbers presented - Head Start (preschool 3–5) total award (proposed): $3,450,475. The presenter said the program includes a training and technical assistance component and a required non‑federal share equal to 20% of the grant; the exact non‑federal dollar amount was not specified in the presentation. - Early Head Start (0–3) total award (proposed): $1,312,756; training and technical assistance: $24,424; required non‑federal share: $334,287.
Staff outlined the grant development cycle: community and policy-council input, action-plan development, self-assessment, and a community assessment every five years to set long‑term goals and measurable objectives. The presenter said the application contains a detailed narrative describing how the district plans to spend program funds and that policy council and parents participated in the development process.
Why it matters Head Start and Early Head Start fund preschool and early‑childhood services for families in the district; staff said losing or reducing federal Head Start funding would have sizable consequences on seats and staff. Presenters warned the board that national budget uncertainty occasionally surfaces during federal appropriations negotiations and that staff plan and write the grant as if expected funding will be available while continuing vigilance on federal appropriations.
Board action The board voted 6–0 to approve submission of the baseline grant application for Head Start and Early Head Start and the related assurances.
Ending Staff said they will submit the application in August and will return with updates after federal review and award notices; the board thanked policy-council members and staff for months of community engagement in the grant process.
