Miami-Dade commissioners, looking to save money and get out of the education business, took a step Thursday toward outsourcing the Head Start program for pre-K children.

Their decision came after a lengthy discussion that took on racial overtones as black commissioners expressed concerns that the county’s predominantly black Head Start staff would lose their jobs.

Though the county will outsource its Head Start operations to private, not-for-profit providers, proponents pledged to require the agencies to hire Miami-Dade’s Head Start personnel. Those workers, however, will likely have to accept lower salaries — and fewer benefits — than they receive as county employees.

For decades, the county has operated Head Start, which is funded by the federal government but administered locally by Miami-Dade. Under the new plan, approved 8-2, the county still will disburse the federal funds used to run the program, but will outsource county-operated sites to not-for-profit groups.

The county last year spent an additional $3.7 million from its general fund to run the program through a mix of private providers, such as Catholic Charities and the United Way, and county facilities run by county employees.

Miami-Dade officials have long talked about getting private providers to run the entire program to save the county money — and reach more children. Mayor Carlos Gimenez campaigned last year on the issue. In July, commissioners agreed with the mayor; in his budget, he proposed doing away with the county-run facilities and relying solely on private providers instead.

But the move was delayed after commissioners at a September budget hearing raised concerns that the county Head Start workers would receive pink slips.

The matter came before the commission again on Thursday — this time to give the go-ahead to county staff to invite private providers to offer Head Start services, which give poor children educational and healthcare help during early years of development.

Once those providers express interest, the county will work with them to meet the qualifications needed to formally apply as a Head Start or Early Head Start provider.

Head Start currently serves about 6,200 children ages 3 to 5; Early Head Start serves several hundred children younger than 3. The new, outsourced plan should increase the total number of students in the program by several hundred.

Miami-Dade’s $55 million grant request for Head Start funding must be submitted to the federal government by May 1.

In addition to picking outside providers, the county will set a standard pay rate to the providers of $6,700 per student, or $6,300 per student if the provider operates out of a rent-free, publicly owned facility. The rate the county pays providers now ranges from $5,500 to $7,100.

Outsourcing the program will save the county money because it won’t have to pay for Miami-Dade’s more-expensive employees, or for the costs of county facilities.

Commissioners who backed the move lamented that outsourcing would still leave the county largely responsible for Head Start.

“The school board, the Children’s Trust — those are the entities that deal with education,” said Commissioner Rebeca Sosa, who put forth the proposal.

She emphasized that the agencies that apply to run Head Start sites will have to hire the county’s existing staff, made up in large part by teachers, social workers and curriculum specialists.