Head Start Budget To Be Restored Pending Vote

By Rachel Lund
Published: Wednesday, June 18, 2014 - 4:05pm

The Phoenix City Council will meet Wednesday to restore cuts to the city’s Head Start program. Last year the Head Start budget was reduced by more than a million dollars. If the council OKs it, all of that funding will be restored.

Even with this the city will only be able to serve about a quarter of all the eligible Head Start students.

Patricia Nightingale of Phoenix Human Services, which oversees the Head Start program, says that is still a significant number. 

“It doesn’t sound maybe like it’s a lot for 186 families, but that is potentially 186 children who can be successful in school,” she said.

Phoenix has been providing head start for 48 years. This restoration will allow the program to hire around 26 teachers and teacher assistants.