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The Albemarle City Council passed a motion at its June 1 meeting to approve a conditional use permit request by Save The Children to install a modular classroom unit at the school facility at 405 Davis St.

Save the Children, which took over Head Start, reopened facilities in Stanly, Montgomery and Moore counties last December. In addition to the Albemarle facility, the organization also has a location at Norwood Elementary.

Save the Children leads Head Start and Early Head Start programs at seven centers in Cabarrus, Montgomery, Moore and Stanly counties, serving more than 440 children, families and expectant mothers, according to its website.

Head Start is a federally funded program that provides early learning opportunities to children birth through age 5 growing up in poverty.

The organization specially wants to install a 68-foot by 28-foot modular unit at the preschool facility to create two additional classroom spaces.

Khari Garvin, Head Start’s executive director for Save the Children, said that Head Start programs are required to conduct a community assessment every year, which checks for “population trends and changes.”

Garvin said the program “cannot meet the demand” in Albemarle with the current capacity of the facility. He said there is a longer waiting list in Albemarle than in other parts of the program’s service area.

“The surrounding property owners, I think they would be appreciative to see this added to the current facilities,” Councilman Dexter Townsend said.

The council unanimously passed the request.

The council also:

• Passed the Fiscal Year 2020-2021 budget, which maintains the property tax rate at 64 cents per $100 valuation. The council had a public hearing, but no one signed up to speak.

• Decided to hold meetings once a month for July and August.