As many municipalities and organizations are still dealing with the negative affects of the state budget impasse, one organization in Monroe County is doing even better.
"It was all on the block. Our Pre-k Counts was on the block. Everything that we do was on the block," said Tim Lee, Director of Monroe County Head Start.
The chopping block, according to Lee, who said during the state budget impasse he and his staff feared for the worse. Not only was the free or reduced early childhood program not getting state funding, but the looming state budget was threatening to slash they own budget in half.
"We had to make some decisions pretty quickly about how we were going to address that," said Lee. He added they got financially creative and started reshuffling funds around so they would not have shut down any classes. Then the state budget was signed and the team found out their funding was secure.
Monroe County Head Start emerged from the state budget impasse even better than they were before, according to Lee. The program was able to add two new classes in area schools, 20 more students and five new staff members, bringing the total number of students to 225 in Monroe County.
April Miller's son, Isaiah, is one of the students. "He loves coming. He loves going on the bus, coming to school everyday," said Miller.
Lee said its parents like April and students like Isaiah who are the real winners in the end. While Lee hopes an impasse like this year never happens again. He said he can't help but be a little thankful it all worked in the end.
"It was all on the block. Our Pre-k Counts was on the block. Everything that we do was on the block," said Tim Lee, Director of Monroe County Head Start.
The chopping block, according to Lee, who said during the state budget impasse he and his staff feared for the worse. Not only was the free or reduced early childhood program not getting state funding, but the looming state budget was threatening to slash they own budget in half.
"We had to make some decisions pretty quickly about how we were going to address that," said Lee. He added they got financially creative and started reshuffling funds around so they would not have shut down any classes. Then the state budget was signed and the team found out their funding was secure.
Monroe County Head Start emerged from the state budget impasse even better than they were before, according to Lee. The program was able to add two new classes in area schools, 20 more students and five new staff members, bringing the total number of students to 225 in Monroe County.
April Miller's son, Isaiah, is one of the students. "He loves coming. He loves going on the bus, coming to school everyday," said Miller.
Lee said its parents like April and students like Isaiah who are the real winners in the end. While Lee hopes an impasse like this year never happens again. He said he can't help but be a little thankful it all worked in the end.
