If everything goes according to plan, longer days of learning lie ahead for Clarkston’s youngest students.
Administrators are wrapping up a kindergarten study, and plan to ask the Board of Education at a Nov. 24 meeting to approve implementation of an all-day kindergarten program slated to begin in the 2009-2010 school year.
‘We’re excited to give parents options for kindergarten,? said Independence Elementary Principal Chris Turner, who serves as the district’s kindergarten representative. ‘Parents choose what’s most appropriate for their child; I believe different programs fit the needs of different kids and it’s nice to have those options.?
Each of the district’s seven elementary schools presently offers traditional half-day kindergarten. In addition, a ‘young fives? program at the Early Childhood Center offers an alternative for children born between June 1 and Dec. 1 of the current year, and a fee-based, extended-day program operates at Springfield Plains Elementary and Pine Knob Elementary.
Demand for extended-day sections, which were implemented two years ago, exceeded the supply, said Turner, who was part of the group giving presenting kindergarten study findings to the board at last week’s meeting.
‘The two classes filled up immediately,? he said. ‘We had waiting lists for both.?
In fact, surveys sent to families of about 500 preschool age children in the district suggested a majority were interested in an all-day program.
Others had mixed emotion.
Of 179 surveys returned, 65 percent of parents indicated they were likely to select a free full-day kindergarten program if available; 25 percent said they preferred a traditional half-day and 10 percent felt their child would do best in the young fives program.
‘As the year began, many parents were starting to hear the buzz about what Clarkston will offer for kindergarteners next year,? said Lisa Marion, director of the Early Childhood Program. ‘Many districts have started offering all-day kindergarten, so many parents were very excited about that, and very reluctant, also.?
Benefits of the free, full-day program, according to district Deputy Superintendent Dave Reschke, include increased ability to provide developmentally appropriate activities to enhance academic, social and emotional growth of kindergarteners in the district.
Additionally, a full-day program will allow the district to meet funding challenges required by the State of Michigan for early childhood education programs.
Reschke reminded trustees the 2008-2009 K-12 school aid budget, signed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm, mandates schools institute full-day kindergarten programs or risk losing state funding for traditional half-day programs through cuts phased in over the next several years.
‘The estimated cost to ramp up for this is just shy of $650,000,? Reschke said. ‘It’s a relatively expensive proposition.?
Reschke said he anticipated the need for an additional eight full-time teachers, along with a proportionate number of classroom aides, at a cost’including social security and benefits’of about $600,000.
In addition, two regular classrooms’one at Andersonville Elementary and one at Bailey Lake Elementary’would need to be converted into kindergarten rooms, and additional play equipment added at each building, at a further cost of about $40,000.
The district is also hoping to offset about $155,000 in lost revenue from the fee-based extended day program, which will cease to exist if a free full-day program is instituted, through the elimination of midday transportation costs.
Parents opting for half-day program, Reschke said, may be asked to provide their own midday transportation.
Reschke also told the board some questions remain unanswered.
‘About 25 percent of parents who returned the survey indicated they prefer a half-day program,? he said. ‘We don’t know how that would translate from school to school exactly, but if we only have six parents at a school who want a half-day program, how would we manage that? That’s the devil-in-the-details kind of thing, and we don’t really have an answer yet.?
But school officials are also estimating enrollment of 21 additional fulltime students’three at each elementary school’ultimately resulting in an additional $158,000 in state funding.
‘We’re thinking by adding a full day we’ll probably pick up some enrollment from the private school sector,? he said.
Overall, about 650 K-12 students who reside in the district are schooled through private options.
‘Too few of our private school parents are familiar with the offerings we have,? said Superintendent Al Roberts. ‘When they take the time to look, we know they’ll see we can offer a top-notch program at no cost.?
Roberts said he hoped the all-day kindergarten option would help attract families who will stay through high school.
‘This is a bit of an aggressive plan to try to bring some youngsters in the district who hopefully won’t just be here for kindergarten,? he said. ‘As they become familiar with our programs and more comfortable in our setting, we think they will remain with us through the years, and that’s both an educational and a financial (impact) we have to consider.?
If approved, the plan calls for December distribution of parent information packets, with kindergarten registration beginning Jan. 7 and parent information sessions scheduled for the weeks following. Check out Clarkston Community Schools website at www.clarkston.k12.mi.us