SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - The waiting list for hundreds of Sioux Falls families wanting to enroll their children in early childhood education programs is expected to grow longer.
Sioux Falls public schools have had long waiting lists for years for Head Start, a federally funded early childhood education program that serves more than 400 students in the area.
Early Childhood Education coordinator Val Peters told Sioux Falls School Board members Monday that Head Start’s new federal performance standards require schools to more than double the amount of time children spend in the program. And with no additional funds, Peters said fewer children would be served.
South Dakota is one of six states that don’t offer funding for preschool, which results in communities relying on limited federal funds and nonprofit aid.
Legislators shot down a state-funded preschool pilot program last year, and state leaders have not seriously discussed funding early childhood education. The lack of funding means Head Start is the only option for most low-income families who can’t afford to pay for private preschool tuition, the Argus Leader (https://argusne.ws/2onunnE ) reported.
Head Start gave the Sioux Falls School District a more than $189,000 grant to help adjust to the new standards, but the grant will only send 17 of the hundreds of kids in the program to full-day preschool.
The board said the district will have to cut the number of students in the program if it doesn’t receive more funding to comply with the new Head Start standard by 2021.
Board member Doug Morrison suggested the district reach out to Head Start’s federal office and South Dakota’s congressional delegation to highlight the impact the new performance standards will have on Sioux Falls children.
“We’ll just have to figure out how we communicate the potential impact to our district,” he said.
___
Information from: Argus Leader, https://www.argusleader.com
Please read our comment policy before commenting.