Harlan Kirgan
The hiring process continued this week for Head Start jobs as the 10-center pre-school system is to transition to the control of the St. Landry Parish School Board.
The school system’s control begins Saturday and it reopened almost every job associated with Head Start.
At Monday’s School Board committee meetings it was noted that acting Head Start director June Inhern was interviewing the job candidates.
The Head Start centers will employ 166 people from aides to center directors, down from more than 200 employed last year.
There were open positions under the previous operator.
Superintendent Patrick Jenkins said the school system originally planned to operate seven centers instead of the present 10, but kept number steady to avoid disruption.
The school system is receiving $6.4 million from the federal government to operate the Head Start centers. The total budget is $7.5 million, which includes in-kind contributions.
The contributions will include supervisory personnel paid by the school system, but doing Head Start work. That allowed the school system to trim previous Head Start administrators.
Jenkins said Head Start had an enrollment of about 800 students ages 4 and under last year. Enrollment for this year is at about 400 students, he said.
“We have to get those numbers up for sure,” he said.
But the school system is allowed to count 4-year-olds in its pre-kindergarten program as Head Start students when they care grouped with Head Start students, he said.
With several Head Start employees present, School Board members made the point that they would like to see employees retained if they are qualified.
School Board member Hazel Sias said, “If our people that’s been working in the Head Start in St. Landry Parish meet those qualifications, they should be given the first opportunity.”
Jenkins said, “We can’t exceed that budget. We have to stay within our means.”
Head Start is to operate with a separate budget from the school system.
School Board member Albert Hayes Jr. said, “We would not have Head Start ownership if the previous people had done the job they were supposed to do.”