Head Start staff seek state supplemental grant and federal waiver for bus monitors to control rising costs

Head Start leaders asked the board to approve applying for the state supplemental Head Start grant and to authorize seeking a federal waiver that would allow the district to avoid placing a bus monitor on every Head Start route in all cases.

Staff told the board they submitted the federal grant in March (rough ballpark $2,680,000 for the federal portion) and are now seeking the state supplemental amount (about $324,000) to maintain current programming. They said federal funding has not seen a cost-of-living increase for three years while monitor costs and contractor charges have risen sharply: staff reported monitor costs increased from about $40,000 over several years to over $100,000 recently, creating a budget strain.

The requested waiver would not remove monitors when required for a child with an IEP or documented need; rather, it would allow the district to target monitors where necessary and avoid placing a monitor on small short-duration runs where a monitor provides little safety differential. Staff said the Head Start Policy Council reviewed and unanimously approved moving forward with the waiver request.

Board members asked about restraints and safety: staff confirmed small buses used for Head Start routes have five-point restraints and that bus drivers are trained to secure children; staff said conversations with the transportation vendor indicated drivers already perform many monitor tasks.

Why it matters: rising personnel and contractor costs for Head Start transportation are cutting into program resources; the waiver is offered as a way to preserve direct services while reducing transportation overhead.

Next steps: board approval to pursue the state supplemental grant and to seek the federal waiver was requested; staff will return with final wording and any required assurances about safety and IEP compliance.