TYLER, Texas — The Tyler Independent School District Board Members unanimously voted to replace St. Louis Early Education Center, the only Head Start program in Tyler, with full-day Pre-K.
During the district's summer board meeting on Monday, not everyone favored that decision.
"I pray the board retains Head Start that we enroll all eligible children and then determine which program is best for each child," Christina Fulsome said.
Her statement mirrored what most of the audience felt.
"Once we get these students in to learn we want to decrease any of those affects we have with crime against themselves," April Gost said.
Both April and Christina have ties to Tyler's Head Start program and do not want to see the educational resource that provides special education services, helps the economically disadvantaged and free for children as young as three close it's doors.
Teachers at St. Louis EEC were also concerned about the certainty of their job.
TISD Superintendent Marty Crawford says, all employees with Head Start that are under contract with the district will be placed in a "like" position to the one they previously held.
Most of the teachers will transition to Pre-K or Kindergarten. Students who would attend Head Start will move to Pre-K.
Crawford says there are over 1,200 kindergartners district wide. He says if every Tyler parent took advantage of Pre-K, it would be around that same number.
Board members discussed the change for some time before coming to the conclusion to approve full day Pre-K for students as young as age 4 unless they qualify for special needs at age 3, as long as the social and emotional wraparound services are continued.
The district plans on implementing two additional classrooms within all 16 elementary schools that will carry full-day Pre-K.