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Head Start faces classroom shortage
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Posted on Sep 05 2005
The Head Start Program in the CNMI is currently facing a classroom shortage due to the program’s lack of permanent spaces for classrooms, according to its local director.
Head Start director Jean Samari told the Board of Education last week during its regular monthly meeting that the biggest challenge she now faces is finding permanent “appropriate” spaces for classrooms in the villages where schoolchildren reside.
“Without this we have a very hard time keeping our funded enrollment as many families have transportation problems,” Samari said.
At present, children in San Vicente and Dandan who are enrolled in the program attend the Chalan Kanoa Head Start, she said, adding that there are also some children in Garapan who attend Head Start centers on Capitol Hill and in Tanapag.
Samari said the program has already lost two classrooms. The program was forced to give up one classroom at the Gregorio T. Camacho Elementary School due to the overcrowding problem at the school. Another classroom at the San Vicente Elementary School had to be vacated for maintenance and repair.
The Head Start director, however, said the program is in the process of building two new facilities in Garapan. She said the facilities would be permanent Head Start sites, which would be ideal for the program.
“We have located another elementary classroom in Dandan Elementary School,” she said. The additional classroom would serve the children in Dandan and San Vicente until the program could, at some point, acquire a permanent building.
Samari quoted DES principal Jonas Barcinas as promising her that, once the program gets the appropriate funding, it may erect Head Start classrooms in the campus.
Samari said the Head Start building at Kagman II Center is already finished and the grand opening for the center would be announced soon.
Apart from the lack of classrooms, the existing Head Start classrooms also need repair and renovation.
“We have applied for the Head Start supplemental grant for the renovation of many our buildings,” she said.
Presently, the Head Start Program has a total of 579 fully enrolled students. There are currently nine centers and 16 classrooms in the CNMI for the program.
