Parents pack first day of SAISD Head Start sign up

Sequester could mean $4 million cut to Head Start

SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Independent School District began signing up 3- and 4-year-olds Monday at Knox Elementary School for their Head Start program.

The district has 2,625 spots available in the program.

"But we can process in the area of anywhere from 3,000 to 3500 applications," said coordinator Dani Salas. "So the need in our demographic supercedes what we are allowed to serve."

During the application process, parents' income is first verified and then they go through an interview to help the district place students based upon need, said Salas.

"You've got to come early," advises Salena Amadasun, whose son has already gone through Head Start. "Parents are ready to get their kids in school, so the sooner you come, the better."

The district will notify parents in May or June if their child was accepted into the program.

On top of where their child might be placed, parents also have spending cuts in Washington D.C. to think about.

If those cuts take effect March 1, the city of San Antonio estimates that local Head Start could see a $4 million cut.

The impact of that potential cut is not yet clear, the city says.

Meanwhile, SAISD is hosting Head Start sign up through March 7.

Click here for a list of locations, dates and times for sign up.


About the Author:

Myra Arthur is passionate about San Antonio and sharing its stories. She graduated high school in the Alamo City and always wanted to anchor and report in her hometown. Myra anchors KSAT News at 6:00 p.m. and hosts and reports for the streaming show, KSAT Explains. She joined KSAT in 2012 after anchoring and reporting in Waco and Corpus Christi.