REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
October 6, 2026
FROM
ARLENE MOLINA, Director, Preschool Services Department
SUBJECT
Title
Contract with Trona Joint Unified School District to Provide Head Start Preschool Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Contract with Trona Joint Unified School District to provide Head Start Preschool services, in the amount of $960,000, for a total contract period of October 7, 2026, through June 30, 2030.
(Presenter: Arlene Molina, Director, 945-6478)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The total contract amount is $960,000, of which $720,000 is federally funded by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families grant funds. The remaining $240,000 is a non-federal share contribution from Trona Joint Unified School District (TJUSD). Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Preschool Services Department (PSD) 2026-27 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
PSD operates Head Start services and serves approximately 2,039 children in 31 locations throughout the county. These programs provide comprehensive child development and family services that include education, health, nutrition, parent involvement, and psychological services for children ages zero to five years and their families. Head Start and State Preschool programs have been operating in San Bernardino County (County) since 1965. Since 1999, PSD has provided these programs through a combination of direct and contracted services. PSD currently contracts with six contract agencies: A New Beginning Foster Family Agency, Child Care Resource Center, Colton Joint Unified School District, Easter Seals Southern California, Inc., Needles Unified School District, and Rim of the World Unified School District to provide program services to approximately 781 eligible children and their families countywide.
The Trona community is one of the most geographically isolated areas within the county and has historically faced challenges related to limited access to early childhood education and comprehensive family support services. Recognizing the need to expand services in this underserved region, the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (SBCSS) contacted PSD to explore opportunities to bring Head Start services to eligible children and families residing in the Trona area.
Through collaboration between PSD, SBCSS, and TJUSD, PSD identified TJUSD as the appropriate local educational partner to operate these services due to its established presence within the community and its ability to provide accessible programming for local families. This partnership supports the County's commitment to increasing equitable access to high-quality early childhood education and comprehensive family services for children living in remote and underserved communities. Under the terms of the recommended contract, TJUSD will provide Head Start Preschool (HSP) program services to approximately 16 eligible children and their families each program year.
The Contractor’s performance will be measured by reviewing the required monthly reports and annual site visits by County staff to monitor compliance with the administrative, fiscal, and program requirements of the Contract.
PROCUREMENT
Purchasing supports the noncompetitive procurement of HSP program services with TJUSD based on specialized credentials. TJUSD has specialized local experience, educational infrastructure, and facilities needed to provide program services for children ages three to five years in the geographically isolated Trona community. Due to the limited availability of qualified early childhood education providers and suitable facilities in the area, other providers were not identified that could provide comparable local services; therefore, additional quotes were not obtained.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services (Patty Steven, Administrative Manager, 388-0241) on September 1, 2026; County Counsel (Adam Ebright, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on September 2, 2026; Purchasing (Ariel Gill, Supervising Buyer, 387-2070) on September 3, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Allegra Pajot, Administrative Analyst, 388-0218) on September 21, 2026.