Richmond Community Schools will now operate Wayne County’s Head Start program for early childhood education.
RCS successfully applied for grant funds to become the county’s provider.
District officials say the funds will position RCS to expand critical educational services for the county’s youngest learners and their families.
The Head Start program will continue to provide comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition and family engagement services to eligible children and families throughout the county. Those services reinforce RCS’ mission to support student success from the earliest stages of development, a news release said.
During the July 25 announcement, RCS officials noted leadership appointments that they say will ensure seamless program implementation and sustained success.
- Jenny Elorreaga will serve as RCS’ new director of Head Start and early learning. She is leaving her role as Crestdale Elementary School principal. The 1998 alumna of Richmond High School is a Ball State University graduate. She has worked for RCS for 22 years and is married to RCS board member Michael Elorreaga.
- Elizabeth Markward is taking on the expanded role of executive director of Head Start and early learning, building upon her current position as assistant superintendent of elementary education. RCS says her dual responsibilities will create strategic alignment between the district’s early learning initiatives and elementary education programs. Markward has about 25 years of experience in education and is a former Crestdale principal.
“We are honored to be the new provider of this essential program for Wayne County families,” RCS Superintendent Curtis Wright said in the release. “With the leadership of Ms. Markward and Ms. Elorreaga, we are confident that our youngest learners will receive the high-quality foundation they deserve.”
New principal
Rebecca Harrell has been hired as Crestdale Elementary’s new principal, replacing Elorreaga.
Harrell most recently served as Northeastern Wayne Schools’ special education coordinator and Early Learning Center director.
However, the Richmond High School graduate has spent much of her teaching career at Crestdale. She previously worked for RCS as a special education teacher and Title I paraprofessional.
“Crestdale has always held a special place in my heart,” Harrell said in a news release. “I look forward to working with our students, families, and staff to build a supportive and inspiring learning environment.”
Harrell has earned degrees from Ivy Tech Community College in Richmond, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, and Ball State University, with a focus on early childhood and special education, as well as school leadership. She is trained in trauma-based relationship intervention and has extensive experience with special education, 504 plans, and the multi-tiered system of supports model.
She and her husband live in Centerville with their three children.
“Rebecca Harrell brings both heart and experience to this position,” Wright said in the release. “Her deep connection to Crestdale and her passion for student success makes her an outstanding choice to lead the school into its next chapter.”
Four of RCS’ elementary schools — Crestdale, Charles, Starr and Westview — have new principals this fall.
A version of this article appeared in the August 6 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.