There are 11 article(s) tagged Head start:

• January 2026

  • What a changing Head Start grant has to do with possible pre-K closures in Memphis

    Instead of expanding pre-K access, classrooms may close if Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris doesn’t release local funding, prekindergarten organization First 8 says.

    By Laura Testino January 20, 2026

• July 2025

  • Porter-Leath beats MSCS in local battle for pre-K money

    Porter-Leath, a local early childhood education organization, appears to be taking over local management of a $30 million, federally funded preschool program known as Head Start. 

    By Laura Testino July 21, 2025

• June 2025

  • Head Start grant may not be awarded until beginning of school year

    Federal officials say they are negotiating with finalists who want to operate Head Start preschool programming, which funds 3,200 seats, for students from low-income families in Shelby County.

    By Laura Testino June 17, 2025

  • $30M Head Start contract up in the air

    Memphis-Shelby County Schools received another violation notice from Head Start monitors after a child walked away from the classroom. 

    By Laura Testino June 16, 2025

• September 2024

  • Porter-Leath is adding 200 Head Start seats. It wants to compete for even more.

    Porter-Leath is bringing Head Start preschool programming back to Millington, and it appears poised to compete for the 3,200 Head Start seats currently with MSCS this fall. 

    By Laura Testino September 24, 2024

  • MSCS violations put $30M in federal preschool funding up for bid

    Since 2020, Head Start officials have found instances of preschool teachers for Memphis-Shelby County Schools hitting, kicking and jerking students, prompting multiple deficiency notices.

    By Laura Testino September 11, 2024

• June 2022

  • MSCS failed to keep children safe at Head Start centers, report finds

    An investigation conducted by the federal Administration for Children and Families found that Memphis-Shelby County Schools failed to make sure children were kept safe at several Head Start centers the district operates.

    By Aarron Fleming June 27, 2022

• August 2021

  • How child care centers reveal pre-K’s future

    Early childhood education advocates say access to high-quality child care is the next goal for more than 40,000 children under age 4.

    Related story: 

    What the SCS/Porter-Leath split means for the future of pre-K in Memphis

    By David Waters August 09, 2021

• June 2021

  • Both sides in Head Start dispute make case to County Commissioners

    Shelby County Schools officials say the Head Start contract with Porter-Leath is unprecedented in terms of its autonomy. A Porter-Leath representative says the relationship started to go bad two years ago.

    By Bill Dries June 16, 2021

  • Porter-Leath, SCS take different views on Head Start partnership termination

    Shelby County Schools is ending its seven-year relationship with Porter-Leath for early childhood education.

    By Daja E. Henry June 10, 2021

• October 2020

  • Early Childhood Academy set for Orange Mound

    Facility will serve 200 3-, 4-year-olds in the Melrose High School neighborhood.

    By Jane Roberts October 09, 2020