Salina school board to weigh Early Head Start enrollment cut from 91 to 80
The Salina USD 305 Board of Education will meet at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10, at the Staff Education Center, 1511 Gypsum, for its regular meeting.
On the consent agenda, the board will consider approving a Change of Scope grant application for Heartland Early Education seeking to reduce Early Head Start enrollment from 91 to 80 children for 2027-2028.
The cut would come in home-based programming, from 59 to 48 slots. Center-based Early Head Start enrollment would stay at 32. Heartland cites a smaller pool of eligible applicants as Saline County poverty fell from 20% in 2017 to 9.4% in 2023, declining kindergarten enrollment in Salina Public Schools, stronger demand for center-based care, hesitancy about home visits, difficulty keeping weekly 90-minute visits, and high turnover in the home-based family consultant role.
