Council on Rural Services
Sequestration impact: Head Start classrooms closing 

PIQUA – In the wake of sequestration, federal spending cuts, and the ongoing need for continued enhancement of quality in the early childhood education programs, the Board of Trustees and the Policy Council of the Council on Rural Services (CORS) has approved a realignment plan for its Head Start and Early Head Start program in three of their nine counties. 

Although this realignment has come about because of the sweeping sequestration cuts in March, the CORS organization is also addressing many ongoing changes that will allow the agency to respond proactively to the future and economic conditions. 

After analyzing community need and evaluating many different options, the approved plan for the local Head Start programs is to close 7 classrooms, accept 171 fewer children, and reduce the classroom and administration work force by 37 employees.  The part day preschool classrooms in all the counties will also open two weeks later this fall.  This mandated sequestration reduction will affect our children, our staff, and our local economies in Auglaize, Greene and Shelby Counties. It means - local jobs and local people will be negatively impacted. 

Shirley Hathaway, Executive Director of Council on Rural Services said, “We have reduced expenses in the past few years – now we have no choice but to cut whole classrooms of children and staff to meet this new federal cut in funding. But by doing these strategic changes now, we will be able to position the program to excel towards our mission of providing the finest high-quality early education and care services for children and families in our Kids Learning Place centers.”

All of these cuts are much more difficult because funding deficits are not new to Head Start programs. For CORS these deficits include over 20% less funding where cost of living awards have not kept up with the actual consumer price index over the last 10 years.  These inflation deficits translate into added problems of crucial funding for compensating qualified staff and equipping a high quality education program. 

Also there have been increased expenses due to added federal regulations and requirements; with no extra funds to support it.  While many of these new requirements like increased teacher education and more assessments for measuring children’s outcomes add to higher quality and better educated children, there is a real cost attached to them. 

“CORS is an excellent agency that provides quality programming and services to infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Unfortunately we can no longer provide services to as many children and families due to the reduction in funding. It is the Board’s desire to work through these issues to provide strong programs well into the future” said Janet Julian Board Chairperson. 

Head Start is just one of the programs that have the sweeping federal spending cuts; these cuts were proposed to intentionally force Washington lawmakers to reach a compromise to reduce the nation’s deficit.  Unfortunately the compromise never happened and the sequestration cuts were ordered and will be affecting how our youngest, most vulnerable citizens as they just begin their education and for many years to come.    

For any questions about our agency or programs please contact Shirley Hathaway, Executive Director, at (937) 778-5220 or by email at shathaway@councilonruralservices.org.  For more information about other programs of Council on Rural Services … programs for innovative learning, check the Web site at www.councilonruralservices.org.