Full-Day Kindergarten Decision In Two Weeks

The will be asked May 25 to vote on the future of the district's full-day kindergarten pilot program, which is losing its state funding.

That was the word Wednesday from Superintendent Bill Gretzula, who last month made a 30-minute presentation pointing out the program's advantages.

“The case has been made,” he told Patch. “I think the board has the information to make it one way or the other.”

Over the last several months, the board has heard nothing but public support. The most touching exhibition of that came at Wednesday's board meeting from Abby, a student in the full-day program this year. Standing on a step stool behind the audience podium next to her teacher, the youngster read from a prepared statement and spoke of other children.

“They won't be able to read so well when they don't do library. They won't be able to draw so well when they don't do art and they won't have good computer skills when they don't do computers,” she said.

“And I wouldn't be writing you this note without full-day. Keep full-day please.”

Michele Robson, of Dartmouth Court, said her 5 year old has been enrolled in full-day pre-school classes and entering a half-day kindergarten program “feels like a step in the wrong direction.”

“Please don't restrict this to a few lucky children,” she added in a reference to the lottery used to determine which students get in the program, while others get half-day classes.

Board members have not uttered a negative word throughout the months-long discussion, so perhaps the only issues really in doubt are whether the program is expanded and whether the district will continue to use a lottery.

The program, which began in 2007-2008, has 120 students enrolled in six classes while 260 continue to attend half-day classes.

Gretzula has said he can live with the pilot program in its current form – and district funding for that, $240,000, has been included in the district's proposed budget. But he favors expanding the program and eliminating the lottery.

While the district probably does not have space for universal full-day kindergarten, he has said, it could provide those classes for “every family who thinks their children are ready.” And he has told Patch the district may need to develop criteria for youngsters' readiness.

Doubling the number of classes to 12, with 25 students in each class, would double the cost, making it a $480,000 local expenditure, Gretzula has said.

Last month he said the district will spend $640,000 this year for the 64 township children whose parents chose to enroll their children in the full-day program at School Lane Charter School. For $480,000, he said, the district could “hopefully” get many of those students back and save money.

In most cases, he has said, district students who have taken part in the full-day program have exited kindergarten with double the grade and progress as those still in half-day classes. In addition, he has said, full-day classes help children with their social development and the district is able to gather more data to identify students' special needs.

“If we don't offer full-day kindergarten, we're going to be paying for additional intervention (services) some time down the road for the children who don't benefit from the increased time in full-day kindergarten,” Gretzula said last month.