Release: # 05-79
July 18, 2005

Contact: Tina Jung
E-mail: communications@cde.ca.gov
Phone: 916-319-0818

O'Connell disappointed Healthy Start grants eliminated from 2005-06 state budget

SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced 12 applicants throughout California will share $2 million in Healthy Start grants. The list of grantees is linked in the Attachment below.

Healthy Start is a state initiative in which schools partner with community groups and compete for grants to provide K-12 students and their families with access to health and social services.

"In order for students to be successful, they must have a healthy environment in which to learn, not only in school but also at home," said O'Connell. "These grants will help kids and their families get access to much-needed services that will improve their ability to learn in school and become successful adults."

The four operational and eight collaborative planning grants will be awarded to schools and their partners to access, coordinate, and integrate services in their communities at or near school sites. These services may include health care, dental care, mental health counseling, child welfare services, employment services, crime prevention, child care, youth development, tutoring, English language or citizenship classes, and other activities important to the success of the children and their families.

Healthy Start initiatives across California have served more than one million children and their families since the state Legislature established the Healthy Start Support Services for Children Act in 1991. In schools where Healthy Start is in effect, there have been increases in student attendance, test scores, improvements in students' classroom behavior, and greater parental involvement in school activities. Trends at Healthy Start sites include a decrease in school violence, and violence and child abuse in homes, improvement in self-concept, and a decrease in drug use.   

A total of 41 local education agencies competed for this round of grants. After a rigorous review process, funds were awarded based on how well their proposal met the grant criteria. Operational grantees will receive $400,000 over a five-year period and collaborative planning grantees will receive $50,000 over a two-year period.

"I am very disappointed that the Governor eliminated $2 million in funding this coming year for Healthy Start," added O'Connell. "He said he would 'set these funds aside for appropriation in subsequent legislation,' and I will work with the Governor to restore funding in future years for this worthy program."

For more information on Healthy Start, please visit Healthy Start - Parent/Family/Community.

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Attachment

OPERATIONAL GRANTS

County	Local Educational Agency	School(s)	Amount
Del Norte	Del Norte County Unified	Keating (Margaret) Elementary	$400,000
Los Angeles	San Gabriel Unified	Washington Elementary Roosevelt Elementary	$400,000
San Bernardino	Ontario-Montclair Elementary	Lincoln Elementary Central Elementary	$400,000
Tulare	Cutler-Orosi Joint Unified	Orosi High	$400,000

COLLABORATIVE PLANNING GRANTS

County	Local Educational Agency	School(s)	Amount
Kings	Corcoran Joint Unified	Kings Lake Education Center John Muir Middle Corcoran High	$50,000
Kings	Central Union Elementary	Stratford Elementary	$50,000
Kings	Hanford Elementary	Jefferson Elementary	$50,000
Monterey	Soledad Unified	Main Street Middle	$50,000
Sacramento	Sacramento City Unified	Maple Elementary Oak Ridge Elementary	$50,000
San Bernardino	Ontario-Montclair Elementary	Montera Elementary	$50,000
San Diego	Grossmont Union High	El Cajon Valley High	$50,000
San Joaquin	Stockton City Unified	Franklin Senior High	$50,000