The Oak Ridge School Administration Building, which houses the Head Start and Preschool program, is pictured above.
Note: This story was updated at 4:50 p.m.
They rejected a Head Start application from Oak Ridge a few weeks ago, but Anderson County school officials could rescind it during a special meeting on Tuesday.
Officials from the two school systems have met and developed a 10-point plan that could be put into place for the 2014-2015 school year. The agreement would allow Oak Ridge to continue to receive funding for the city’s Head Start program through Anderson County, said Keys Fillauer, chair of the Oak Ridge Board of Education.
The agreement will be considered by the county school board during Tuesday’s meeting.
On April 10, the Anderson County Board of Education rejected Oak Ridge’s Head Start application over concerns about the falsification of federal data, specifically reports on the motor skills of children.
In a press release Thursday, Anderson County School Board Chair John Burrell said he wanted to work with Oak Ridge Schools “but wanted the assurance that Head Start performance standards and other requirements would be followed with fidelity.”
The 10-point “assurance summary” proposed to the Anderson County School Board would allocate $50,000 for a full-time monitor; give the grantee director and human resources manager the ability to participate in the interviewing and hiring of a principal or director; mandate training for a data person, director, and staff; and implement a two-year probation, among other things. The first year of probation will include an on-site monitor. The assistant schools director would be the point of contact for reporting compliance issues.
See the press release with more information, including on the 10-point condition summary, here:Â AC BOE and OR Head Start.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
Harry Pruitt says
OR schools dodged a bullet here. This “agreement” will put the OR preschool pretty much under the thumb of the ACSB for two years and cost us $50K up front. No problem there, the ORSB is flush with cash. Actually this is best for everyone as for the next two years the ORSB can turn their full attention to advancing the STEM programs for the gifted and high achieving students – they are really interested in that – and the ACSB will look after the needs of those students in OR’s preschool. A win-win solution for all. Thank you ACSB and Chairman Burrell for resolving this debacle.
Mike Mahathy says
You can never be positive can you Harry?
Harry Pruitt says
Did I say anything that was not true Mike? The fact that the ACSB is bailng the ORSB out is a VERY positive thing, at least as I see it.
Raymond Charles Kircher says
Oak Ridge Schools are to enter the realm of congeniality? BWWWWHAHAHAHAHA!