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The Trump administration has finalized a repeal of the Head Start teacher pay rule, ending a federal requirement that larger programs raise staff compensation toward local public preschool levels. The change also removes employee-benefit provisions from a 2024 regulation; it does not prevent local Head Start programs from raising wages on their own.

The Department of Health and Human Services announced the final rollback Friday, Nov. 13. The rule is expected to take effect in January 2027, according to the Associated Press. Education Week reported that HHS said the final notice would appear in the Federal Register on Monday, Nov. 16.

What the Head Start pay rule required

The 2024 standard set a wage target for programs with more than 200 funded student slots: by 2031, their education staff pay was to become comparable to local public pre-K teacher salaries, or to 90% of local kindergarten teacher salaries in districts without public pre-K. Smaller programs faced a requirement to show progress toward higher pay, rather than the same target imposed on larger programs.

The earlier rule also expanded benefit requirements for staff. HHS has now rescinded those wage and benefit provisions. The agency said the rollback restores local flexibility and could help programs preserve service capacity; that is the administration’s stated rationale, not a guarantee about how individual programs will use their budgets.

What changes for programs and families

Head Start operators will no longer have to meet the rescinded federal pay targets on the 2024 rule’s schedule. The final action does not itself set local salaries, and Education Week reported that programs remain free to raise compensation voluntarily.

This action is narrower than the administration’s separate proposal to revise broader Head Start quality standards. Education Week reported that the other proposal—including changes involving classroom ratios, family services and health screenings—was still pending as of Friday. The two actions should not be confused: the wage-and-benefit rollback is final, while the wider standards proposal has not been finalized.

For related government policy coverage, see The Globuzz Politics section.

Sources

Associated Press: Trump administration cancels mandatory pay hike for Head Start teachers

Education Week: Trump administration finalizes rollback of required raises for Head Start teachers