Forty-one Century Head Start students will be moving to the early education program’s Molino center in two weeks.
The Community Action Program Committee will shut down the Head Start Century center at 440 E. Hecker Road on July 18. The Molino center is about 20 miles away at 6460 N. Highway 95A.
Head Start Director Doug Brown cited declining enrollment, teacher shortages and funding cuts for the decision to close the Century Center.
The Century center currently has two classes with 17 Head Start students each, along with one Early Head Start class of eight students.
“We will provide daily transportation to and from our Molino site for the Century students,” Brown said, noting one Early Head Start student would not move, but has been referred to the Escambia County Early Learning Coalition for services.
The Century’s center staff of eight teachers and teacher assistants have also been reassigned to other Head Start centers.
Brown said both the Century and Molino centers had open slots, so the decision was made to consolidate the two facilities.
“Even with combining the two sites, we still have available slots at the Molino center,” he added.
Escambia County still has 10 Head Start sites including seven standalone centers: Brigadier, Cantonment, Davis Highway, Lincoln Park, Molino, Myrtle Grove and O.J. Semmes Elementary. The program also provides VPK services at Global Learning Academy, Montclair Elementary and a second program at O.J. Semmes.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Head Start program to merge Century and Molino centers
Reporting by Mary Lett, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
