MEMORANDUM

TO: William Popp, Assembly President

Members, Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly

FROM: Grace Merkes, Assembly Member

DATE: March 23, 2000

SUBJECT: Resolution 2000-027 supporting the Head Start program and the concept of a grant through the school district to help fund Head Start

This resolution is designed to show assembly support for the Head Start program, and to provide an opportunity for the assembly to indicate its intentions regarding borough funding of this program through the school district.

The Head Start program currently serves approximately 20 children in the Seward area, with annual operating costs of $150,000; approximately 40 children in Kenai with annual operating costs of about $300,000; and approximately 29 children in Homer with annual operating costs of approximately $150,000. Sterling is currently working on starting a new program and is projecting that it will serve approximately 40 children. This program provides education and other assistance to disabled children, low-income families, and other persons. Ten percent of the enrollment may include children who are neither disabled nor from low-income families.

Head Start is a program funded 80% by the federal government, through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The remaining 20 percent funding must come from local and state matches. This can include both financial and in-kind contributions. The school district has offered to allow the new Head Start program in Sterling to use a portable classroom located at the Sterling Elementary School. I plan to propose an appropriation of $90,000 which would provide approximately 10 percent of the annual operating costs for the programs throughout the Peninsula. The appropriation is intended to occur annually as the local match will be required each year. The remaining 10 percent could come from the state, private fund-raising efforts, and in-kind contributions.