Board signs off on Head Start demolition, grant application, policy updates and vehicle purchase

The Davis County School District board unanimously approved a package of actions for Davis Head Start on Feb. 7, recording four separate motions required for the program's federal funding and operations.

Board members voted to approve demolition of an unused Bountiful Head Start facility at 385 West 100 North, a step staff said is necessary because the building's foundation is failing and the site has not been usable in recent years. The board also approved a request for Head Start to apply for an Early Head Start childcare partnership grant with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; staff clarified that expansion seats created by that grant would be subject to Head Start eligibility, while existing daycare spaces used by district teachers would remain available to staff.

Separately, the board approved policy changes to memorialize current cost-allocation practices used by Head Start and to align program policy with decisions already made by Head Start's policy council. Finally, the board approved the purchase of a new vehicle for Head Start operations.

District Head Start staff said the plan includes converting five existing high-school-based childcare centers into Early Head Start centers, adding eight seats at each site for a total of 40 new Early Head Start seats, and using Head Start curriculum and training for the expanded classrooms. Staff said all items had been vetted by Head Start's policy council and were brought to the board for formal approval to meet federal program requirements.

Each motion passed by voice vote; the board recorded no roll-call tally in the public record.