News
Mohonasen set to implement full-day kindergarten next year
April 7, 2009
| Full-day kindergarten offers more time for success learn more about full-day kindergarten and its benefits |
Starting this September, Mohonasen will begin its first full-day kindergarten program for all students.
At its April 6 meeting, the Mohonasen Board of Education adopted a resolution making full-day kindergarten a reality. Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Spring said this move was made possible by the federal stimulus package, which contains unprecedented federal aid for school districts. It wasn't until recently that the funding was made available, Spring said, which is why the decision wasn't made until now.
"This is something we've been talking about for a long time," Spring said. "When the opportunity presents itself, you kind of have to take advantage of it."
District officials had originally hoped to add the program as soon as September 2010, but when this unique funding opportunity became available, Spring said officials couldn't pass it up. Mohonasen is slated to receive more than $800,000 in additional federal grant funding over the next two years, some of which must be used to fund new programs. The grant funding will be used to pay for the five teaching positions that will be needed to add full-day kindergarten.
Spring said that in 1989—20 years ago—the Mohonasen Board of Education also voted to implement full-day kindergarten. However, because of financial and space limitations, plans to add the program never came to fruition. Now, both enrollment projections and this influx of federal school aid look to make 2009-10 the best year to overcome these constraints.
In order to create the needed classroom space for the new program, the district is planning to make some temporary modifications to Bradt Primary School. This is possible because enrollment at the school is decreasing. Long term, Spring said that she and the board are still planning on a capital project that would allow for more permanent space.
Moving to full-day kindergarten would also make the district eligible for transition aid from the state in 2010-2011. Between the state and federal funding, Spring said the district should be able to transition to full-day kindergarten without raising taxes. Then, as the state and federal funding begins to disappear in a couple of years, she said officials would work to find ways to make up for these additional costs.
While clearly not an amount that would offset the entire cost of the program in future years, research shows that the strengthened early education program children receive in a full-day program can help districts save money in remediation in the future. More importantly, in an age of increased standards and graduation requirements, full-day kindergarten is a way to give students a stronger start in school.
Additionally, the district will also save approximately $50,000 a year in transportation costs by eliminating the kindergarten-only bus runs that occur in the mornings, mid-day and at the end of each school day right now.
Several other area districts—like Schenectady and Duanesburg—already have full-day kindergarten, and others – like Scotia-Glenville and Bethlehem, are adding it for next year. In fact, according to a recent Times Union (PDF) article, only six of 41 districts in the Capital Region will still offer half-day programs this coming September.
