MPS unsure of Head Start federal funding, will open K3 classrooms at 17 schools

Milwaukee Public Schools will replace Head Start programming at 17 of its schools with K3 classrooms.

Leaders with the district sent a statement that says the district has not been notified of federal funding for its Head Start program, and the K3 classrooms will provide similar programming for families.

There are 25 Head Start classrooms at 17 schools being converted to K3 classrooms:

• Academia de Lenguaje y Bellas Artes (ALBA)
• Allen-Field
• Bethune
• Browning
• Bruce
• Congress (two classrooms)
• Doerfler
• Forest Home (two classrooms)
• Grant Gordon (five classrooms)
• Hayes (two classrooms)
• Hawthorne
• Lincoln Avenue (two classrooms)
• Longfellow
• Lowell
• Manitoba
• Maple Tree
• Vieau

Families who have already enrolled in one of these 17 schools do not need to take any further action. District leaders say they'll receive more information "in the coming weeks about the start of school."
There are 20 schools that will not have K3 classroom conversion:

• Auer Avenue
• Carson
• Franklin
• Holmes
• Jackson
• Kagel
• Kilbourn
• King Elementary
• Kluge
• LaFollette
• Metcalfe
• Milwaukee Academy of Chinese Language
• Mitchell
• Obama
• Marvin Pratt
• Riverwest
• Sherman
• Siefert
• Thurston Woods
• Westside

Families who have enrolled in one of these 20 schools must choose a new school on the first list of 17, that will have K3 classrooms, above. District leaders encourage families to choose the school closest to home. MPS Student Services will also reach out to those families to help them determine a new school location.
District leaders say the K3 classrooms will offer "most" of the benefits of the Head Start program, including "a high quality curriculum to ensure children are ready for school by age 5." Each classroom will seat 20 children with one teacher and one paraprofessional.

TMJ4's Mary Jo Ola is working on speaking to district leaders and families about this change. This story will be updated.

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