The summer Head Start program in St. Landry Parish will end because of low attendance.
The St. Landry Parish School Board approved the program’s program application at its meeting Thursday.
June Inhern, Head Start director, explained Head Start requires at least 85% attendance, but that did not happen last year.
Many children leave the parish during the summer and others are cared for a home by siblings, she said.
The attendance rates were low across the parish for the summer program, she said.
“They are not taking advantage of it,” she said of Head Start.
The St. Landry Parish School Board is in its second year of overseeing the Head Start program in the parish. The centers and facilities are located at Eunice, Grand Coteau-Sunset, Krotz Springs, Lawtell, Lebeau, Leonville, Melville, Opelousas, Port Barre, Washington, Cankton Elementary, Highland Elementary and Northeast Elementary.
The major upgrade in the budget is for about $221,000 for playground equipment for the Early Head Start program.
The Head Start program has completed a $800,000 upgrade of playground equipment at the 10 centers.
The application is requesting an enrollment of 664 Head Start students and 124 Early Head Start students.
Head Start serves children 3 to 4 years old. The Early program serves younger children. Another portion of the program serves children up to 5 years old.
Inhern said the program is converting some classrooms to Early Head Start enrollment given that there is 176 student waiting list for 92 slots. The program would target 3-year-olds.
Head Start’s budget total $7.9 million and the Early Head Start budget is $1.9 million.
The program is federally funded.
