Walla Walla Public Schools secures $1M grant to keep Head Start funded
By Dan Thesman on Monday, July 6th, 2026 in Columbia Basin News Columbia Basin Top Stories
WALLA WALLA — Walla Walla Public Schools has secured a $1,066,000 interim federal grant to maintain its Head Start program for 116 low-income children through December.
The six-month award from the Office of Head Start aims to prevent service disruptions at the Walla Walla Center for Children and Families during a transition period from July 1 through Dec. 31 while longer-term grant applications are finalized.
The school district typically receives about $2 million annually in federal funding for the program, which provides free early learning, health, nutrition and family support services to eligible children ages 3 to 5.
While Head Start grants are usually renewed on a five-year cycle, delays in federal application releases forced the district to seek temporary funding. School officials said the competitive application process was expected to open earlier this year but was delayed, a trend that has become increasingly common nationwide.
District leaders expressed relief over the stopgap funding but noted the administrative hurdles caused complications.
“We are grateful to receive this critical interim funding, but the timing and communication process with our federal partner has been challenging, which has caused unnecessary stress and hardship for the program,” Director of Fiscal Services Janette Jeffris said.
Jeffris said she will continue advocating for full funding for the 2026–2027 school year while preparing for the upcoming federal grant cycle.
“These are our youngest learners, and these programs help ensure they get a strong start in school,” Jeffris said. “We remain committed to supporting families through this work.”
Photo courtesy Walla Walla Public Schools
