New Head Start Building

Recently the Northern Montana Head Start program, along with Hill County Commission, applied for a planning grant for a new Head Start facility. With the help of Bear Paw Development Corporation and at the request of HRDC, Hill County Commission is submitting a Community Development Block Planning Grant, a federal program administered by the state. The cost of the building is expected to cost between $1.2 million and $1.5 million.

Head Start, a national non-profit organization, serves the developmental needs of preschool children from low-income families with the thought that every child deserves a Head Start.

The present Head Start facility, located on Lincoln Ave. in Highland Park, is not adequate to meet the program‘s needs. Currently the Head Start facility consists of three buildings with a total of four classrooms and three offices, which are shared by 10 teachers and a number of aides. Since the consolidation of local elementary schools, the number of students using the facility has risen. Previously, Head Start has used several classrooms in different elementary schools and they lost space when the schools were combined. This increased number of students has resulted in teachers sharing classrooms and not having enough time to prepare for their classes.

The new facility may consist of six classrooms and eleven offices allowing for adequate space and a safer, healthier, and more comfortable learning environment.