TOLEDO, OH (Toledo News Now) - Toledo Public Schools has been awarded a federal grant to run the Lucas County Head Start program. It will be split between Toledo Public Schools and a for-profit company from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, operating under the name of Bright-Side Academy.
The Head Start program will be headquartered out of the YMCA annex building on Bush Street in Toledo instead of being managed from out of state.
According to Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur's office, TPS will get more than $8 million total next year to run Head Start and the Early Head Start Program. The money is coming from the Department of Health and Human Services. About $1 million will go to start up costs for the program.
Untied States Senator Sherrod Brown announced on Tuesday June 10 that the district will get $4,975,839 in new federal funds to support Head Start and Early Head Start.
Just over 1,100 kids will be in the TPS Head Start program and 455 will be served at Bright-Side. Both figures include Early Head Start.
Just last week Community Development Institute Head Start said it would stop running the program next year and lay off 280 employees. TPS could choose to hire some or all of those employees to run the program.
TPS Superintendent Dr. Romules Durant wants parents to know the only change they'll notice will be an improvement in the Head Start education.
Below is Senator Sherrod Brown's full statement on the matter.
