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Scott County board OKs Head Start COLA plan, retention bonuses and transportation waiver
Summary
The Scott County School Board approved Head Start measures including a planned use of COLA funds for salary increases, a revised staff-retention bonus plan, a 2026–27 Head Start salary scale and a transportation waiver that exempts certain restraint and monitor requirements; the Board also accepted the April Head Start financial report and contracted staff list.
The Scott County School Board on June 2 approved a package of Head Start actions intended to stabilize staffing and preserve enrollment in the county’s rural program.
Superintendent Jason Smith presented the items on behalf of Head Start Director Cindy Raymond. The board unanimously approved the planned use of Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) funds to support a 1% increase to the salary scale for contracted, full‑time Head Start staff and related fringe costs. The packet shows the COLA award and the division’s proposed allocations for personnel and fringe expenses.
Directly addressing workforce retention, the board approved a revised staff retention plan for SY2025–2026 that structures one‑time retention bonuses. The plan (included in the packet) distinguishes permanent and non‑permanent contracted staff and ties payout to completing a retention period; the Board approved the plan and the administrators’ authority to issue one‑time, lump‑sum payments contingent on available funding.
The Board also adopted the Head Start 2026–27 salary scale included in Appendix F and approved the Head Start contracted staff list for 2026–27. The April 2026 Head Start financial report was accepted by the Board; the report and accompanying statements in the packet show grant award totals, drawdown activity, and in‑kind match tracking for the 2026 grant year.
On transportation, the Board approved a Head Start transportation waiver request for 2026–2027 after hearing a written justification. The waiver letter, signed by Cindy Raymond and included as Appendix J, lists operational barriers: county school buses cannot be fitted with the vendor child‑safety restraint system previously used; the division has historically transported Head Start children on regular school buses; and the county lacks enough potential paid or volunteer bus monitors to meet the cited regulation. The packet and letter argue that denying bus service would severely limit access for many low‑income families in Scott County and impair attendance and enrollment. The motion to approve the waiver passed unanimously.
What happens next: approved plans will be implemented by Head Start and division staff; the salary‑scale and retention payouts are contingent on the funds described in the packet and appropriate fiscal approvals and documentation. The Head Start Director’s report and supporting financial schedules remain on file with the division.
