Hawaiian Gardens : Head Start Lease Postponed

The Hawaiian Gardens City Council has postponed until its next meeting a decision on leasing a city-owned building to Long Beach Head Start.

City officials, concerned that Long Beach Head Start may lose its federal funding because of internal problems, argued that the city should not sign a lease until the problems are resolved.

“If we sign an agreement, I think we are putting ourselves in a very vulnerable position,” said Mayor Pro Tem Kathleen Navejas. “There is a possibility of suspension of their funding.”

Navejas, who is spearheading a move to establish a city-run Head Start program, told the council she would like the city to continue negotiations with Long Beach Head Start through the summer.

But Councilman Donald Schultze proposed that the council sign a one-year lease with the agency right away. “If you want to fight a battle with Long Beach, I’ll be in there with you,” Schultze said. “But let’s not use the kids as a pawn. Let’s sign a lease and get those kids in that building.”