The Head Start program administered by the St. Landry Parish School Board met its enrollment requirement, but only after adding in its pre-school LA 4 program.
The school system’s LA 4 existed prior to acquisition of the federally funded Head Start program. The LA 4 program provides education for economically disadvantaged children at age 4 much like Head Start.
The parish’s Head Start program enrollment, which is for 3- to 4-year-olds, is 545 as of Nov. 27, according to figures presented by June Inhern, director. The Head Start numbers were boosted with 183 students in the LA 4 program, she said.
The program is meeting its required enrollment target, but is 20 short of full enrollment, she said.
“Because we started late I think we did very very well,” Inhern said an School Board Academic Committee meeting Tuesday.
“We increased every month,” she said of the enrollment.
The school system assumed control of the Head Start and Early Head Start programs on Sept. 1.
The Head Start program is to receive $5,207,170 in federal funding for 748 eligible 3- to 5-year-olds. Another $1,223,548 is to be received for 104 eligible 1- to 2-year-old children and pregnant women in the Early Head Start program.
The school district must provide a match of $1,607,680, but that can be from in-kind services such as shared administrators.
Board member Donnie Perron noted the Eunice Center, one of 10 in the parish, does not have an Early Head Start program.
The center has two empty classrooms and Inhern said there is demand for the early education program.
The Head Start program has not started recruiting young mothers, she said. She expects the recruitment may start in December through school counselors.
Head Start enrollments by center are: Eunice, 102; Grand Coteau, 74; Krotz Springs, 13; Lawtell, 52; Lebeau, 23; Leonville, 31; Melville, 17; Opelousas, 162; Port Barre, 37; and Washington, 34.
The LA 4 students are counted as dually enrolled.
Early Head Start enrollment numbers are: Grand Coteau, 16; Krotz Springs, 7; Lawtell, 4; LeBeau, 16; Leonville, 4; Melville, 12; Opelousas, 8; Port Barre, 16; and Washington, 8.
The basic income is to be at or below the poverty line, which includes: family of two, $16,460; family of three, $20,780; family of four, $25,100; family of five, $29,420; family of six, $33,740; and family of seven, $38,060. For families with more than seven person, add $4,180 for each additional person.
The Head Start programs and its federal funding are to be separate from the school system’s other programs.
