Today, Rep. Pete Aguilar announced that the Department of Education awarded San Bernardino County Head Start Programs $5 million to assist with measures to increase the duration of time students spend in the classroom and to also fund the expansions of facilities, classrooms and education personnel.

“Empowering our kids with the resources they need to succeed starts at the very beginning, so I’m glad to see these federal funds returned to our community. This grant will allow us to give students time and attention to receive the quality education they deserve,” said Rep. Aguilar.

San Bernardino County Director of Preschool Services Diana Alexander said, “Head Start is committed to ensuring that all of the children we serve have access to the highest quality in education standards. Part of this commitment now includes facilitating a change from part day/part year school services to full day/full year. We are excited about the awarding of this grant because it will support us in fulfilling Head Start’s commitment to our children right here in San Bernardino County.”

Since taking office in 2015, Rep. Aguilar has made investing in education, from pre-k through college, one of his top priorities. In his first term, Rep. Aguilar visited multiple Head Start programs and met with teachers, administrators and students. Supporting investments in early childhood education is a personal issue for Rep. Aguilar, who worked as a teacher’s aide in a Head Start program when he was a student at the University of Redlands.