CULLMAN, Ala. – Learning can never start too soon, according to Cullman City Schools, which said it is actively working to grow its pre-kindergarten program and position the initiative for future growth to be able to serve more students than ever.
The board is working to double the number of pre-school children taking advantage of its offerings, and a key step in that process is to transition from the federal Head Start Program to the state First Class Pre-K program. Alabama’s First Class Pre-K program has ranked as the nation’s best for 19 consecutive years. The change is intended to bring more stability to Cullman City Schools’ pre-school program, as funding from Head Start has been unreliable and inconsistent in the past.
The district said it also plans to not just retain current personnel related to the pre-school program, but also add more roles to serve more students over the next five years.
The Alabama’s First Class Pre-K program is a tuition-free program completely funded by the Alabama Legislature using Alabama tax dollars. So no matter the socioeconomic status or family dynamic, this would allow Cullman City Schools to serve pre-school children with a quality, reliable program.
“Research consistently shows that students who attend Alabama’s First Class Pre-K program are more likely to experience long-term academic success compared to those who do not,” CCPS Principal and Head Start Director Elizabeth Shaddix said. “The program has been awarded the highest quality rating by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) for 19 consecutive years, reflecting its commitment to excellence and impactful early learning.”
How Alabama’s First Class Pre-K provides more stability
By transitioning to Alabama’s First Class Pre-K program, via the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education, the Office of School Readiness (OSR), local officials believe it will provide more long-term stability for the district’s pre-school program.
“Over the past 10 years, Alabama has tripled access to the First Class Pre-K program,” Acting Secretary of the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education Jan Hume said in a statement. “As a state, we have moved from serving less than 8,000 children in the 2014-2015 school year to now serving more than 24,000 children in nearly 1,500 classrooms. While serving more children is a huge accomplishment, we are most proud of our state’s continued commitment to quality.”
In January 2025, the Trump administration announced a freeze on federal grants, causing significant concern for Head Start programs nationwide. Although it was later clarified that Head Start would be exempt from the freeze, additional challenges followed. In February 2025, a crash of the federal website disrupted Head Start center operations.
In April 2025, regional Head Start offices were closed, and early drafts of the administration’s budget proposal indicated plans to eliminate all federal funding for Head Start. Although the final budget did not eliminate the program, these events have raised continued concerns about its long-term stability.
“I continue to grow concerned regarding inconsistent federal funding, therefore Cullman City Schools is actively pursuing state funding to support the addition of more 4-year-old classrooms at Cullman City Primary School,” Cullman City Schools Superintendent Kyle Kallhoff said. “These expanded opportunities will allow more children to attend a high-quality pre-kindergarten program taught by certified teachers — at no cost to families residing within the district.”
In addition to funding stability, the eligibility requirements for federal Head Start also create some bottlenecks locally. Eligibility for Head Start is determined by federal poverty guidelines. In the city of Cullman, the median household income is $63,704.
To that end, the Cullman City Head Start program is currently funded to serve 94 students. However, based on the Cullman City Head Start Community Assessment Data, only 72 children meet the eligibility criteria, resulting in unfilled program spots. This spring, the program was only able to serve 68 students.
By moving to Alabama’s First Class Pre-K program, some of those hurdles can be cleared to allow more students to benefit from pre-school education.
Expanding pre-school program a core priority
For the past several years, finding ways to grow the district’s pre-school program has been a key priority for the school board and district leaders. In January 2023, Cullman City Schools launched a series of community forums to gather input from stakeholders across the community in the development of a district-wide strategic plan.
This plan serves as a roadmap for the direction and growth of Cullman City Schools over the next five years. One of the core priorities identified in the strategic plan is the expansion of learning opportunities for 4-year-old children, and district leaders believe making this transition is the best way to achieve that goal.
“Our district is committed to serving as many 4-year-olds in our community as possible,” Kallhoff added. “Awarding Cullman City Schools with additional classroom grants will allow us to make significant progress toward fulfilling this goal. As one of the top-ranked school districts in the state of Alabama, expanding early learning opportunities will only build upon the strong foundation already in place.”
