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Scranton School District outlines Head Start partnership, says January pilot possible
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Keating told the board the district is negotiating nonnegotiable terms with Head Start and the SFT to pilot a full-day four-year-old classroom at Charles Sumner Elementary in January 2025, but flagged staff credentialing, supervision and scheduling hurdles that must be resolved first.
Superintendent Dr. Keating said the Scranton School District is actively pursuing a partnership with Head Start and the SFT to expand preschool as part of the district's amended recovery plan, with a possible pilot class at Charles Sumner Elementary in January 2025. He told the board that "that work continues to take place" and that administrators will not bring a final proposal forward until "all of the t's are crossed and the i's are dotted."
Why it matters: the pilot would restore full-day pre-K access for four-year-olds and is tied to the district's recovery priorities and budget planning. If implemented, the program would change staffing needs and require certified paraeducators and additional supervision.
What the district said: Keating said Head Start and district staff met to establish "nonnegotiables" and that Mr. O'Donnell would follow up to ensure alignment. He noted specific operational concerns: paraeducators must obtain Head Start credentials (with up to two years to do so), two adults are required for supervision, and schedules must protect related-arts, lunch and recess obligations. On timing he said, "We sat with 2 of the representatives of Head Start to put down the non negotiables," and added administration was "never gonna sit here and say that there's not" potential hurdles to resolve.
Board response and next steps: Board members pressed for clarity on where classrooms would be placed, asked for firm timelines and documentation, and suggested including Mr. O'Donnell at planning discussions. Dr. Keating committed to returning to the board only after those operational and credentialing issues are resolved and said administration will budget anticipated costs in the 2025 proposed final budget if the partnership proceeds.
Budget note: finance staff explained the proposed 2025 budget includes pre-K revenue and expenses lines for head start and pre-k counts and estimated a one-time 2025 investment to reopen six pre-K classrooms of roughly $160,000, contingent on agreement and revenue recognition.
