Free, Full-Day Kindergarten to Come to Reading
Selectmen, School Committee and Finance Committee to meet Sept. 10 to discuss school space needs.
The Reading School Committee has set the wheels in motion to begin to provide free, full-day kindergarten for all Reading kindergartners. The committee voted 6-0 Monday to direct school administrators to begin that process.
If the school department provides all-day kindergarten to all kindergartners, the town could receive $1.1 million from the state in Chapter 70 money, Assistant School Superintendent for Finance and Administration Mary DeLai told the committee last month – if the program is free. Now Reading offers full-day kindergarten as an option. Parents who elect that option pay for half a day of school time.
The motion to expand kindergarten to full day did not include the word “free.” The phrase “for all students” means free, committee Chairman Karen Janowski said.
The motion did not specify when the program would start or where the students would be housed.
The School Committee, Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee will meet on Sept. 10 at the Senior Center, starting at 7 p.m., to discuss school space needs.
A building committee, not the School Committee, would have to look into new school space, Superintendent John Doherty said Monday. That’s beyond the scope of the School Committee, he said.
The School Committee has been studying space at the town’s five elementary schools for a year and a half, according to Doherty. A consultant, Frank Locker, presented a report this past June. His conclusion: those schools have a shortage of space, not because of enrollment, but because of new and expanding programs, from optional full-day kindergarten to special education programs to a desire to provide dedicated art and music space in each school to maintaining class size.
Leasing a modular unit at each elementary school could cost a total of about $1 million for three years, including installation and removal, according to DeLai, based on an estimate from a modular building vendor.
Putting modular structures at the elementary schools has gotten a thumbs down from the committee, not by formal vote, but in discussion, and from some members of the audience at Monday’s meeting.
The School Committee seems to prefer building a new early childhood education center on town-owned land off Oakland Road for both kindergartners town-wide and pre-schoolers in the town’s RISE pre-school program.
The committee did not include RISE in Monday’s motion.
It’s risky to talk about a permanent, long-term solution to the space squeeze, DeLai said Monday, because school officials are not sure how the Commonwealth’s School Building Authority would respond to a request for partial funding for a project for kindergartners and preschoolers. A community does not go to the state agency with plans for a specific building, according to the discussion. Rather, the community goes with a problem and works with the building agency to try to solve it.
As for town-wide full-day kindergarten, School Committee member Chris Caruso expressed reservations. We don’t have the space; we don’t have the money, he said.
Bring the $1 million from the state to Reading, School Committee member Rob Spadafora urged, so parents don’t have to pay for it.
If parents want full-day kindergarten, let them pay for it, said resident Bill Brown.
Doherty again presented reasons why full-day kindergarten benefits students. It increases their readiness for school; raises academic achievement, literacy and retention; reduces remediation; and prepares students for the Reading schools’ core curriculum, he said.
Reading instituted full-day kindergarten on a trial basis in 2005, Doherty said. It’s grown.
School administrators have published a survey on line, on edline, about the elementary and pre-school space needs. Responses are welcome, Doherty said, until Sept 5. More than 500 people have responded out of 6,000, a good response rate, Doherty said.
GM
7:33 am on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Yes, as a matter of fact research has proven that those 2 1/2 hours per day will have a significant educational benefit. Also, If you think it's babysitting, I challenge you to go volunteer for those 2 1/2 hours a day for one week. You will find yourself enlightened.
Rob
7:49 am on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
We've got tax dollars to burn and extra classroom space. Why not!
Maureen
9:56 am on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Why not? Read the latest info in today's Globe. (I can't believe that comes as a surprise to too many.) READING children deserve every possible advantage. As an educator with many years experience, I can attest to the differences that full day kindergarten brings. POSITIVE RESULTS! As a homeowner, I appreciate the value that a school system adds (or fails to add) to my property. We cannot afford to lose ground. Those of us who have already seen our children through the system, now have no moral right to deny this generation the best. They will never get these years back. Oh! How I wish these "free babysitter" folks knew what they were talking about! (Yes, I met you at PTA conferences over the years. The cycle continues. SAD!)
Jodi Bebchick
9:59 am on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
I hope North Reading jumps on this boat too!!
Pamela Ricci
11:18 am on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
This is great! Definitely an incentive for young families to buy houses in the town.
M
11:37 am on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Can we start it asap? My daughter just started full day K today!
Alison C.
12:01 pm on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
I would actually consider the facts before making such comments. Students who are forced (because they cannot afford full day) to learn the full curriculum in a half-day program, are at a disadvantage. The foundational skills that are needed to succeed in the upper grades are learned in kindergarten, preschool and even in the years before "formal" education starts. I for one fully support the full day K for all students as I support any early intervention programs that support the development of of our children.
Karl Weld
3:54 pm on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
My wife was a kindergarten teacher before we had children and she chose to be at home with them. She had no problem with our kids having half day kindergarten. She felt it was an appropriate amount of time for structured instruction. What we're not too happy about is that it seems the school department decided to do away with the lottery for full day and accepted all comers. Because of that, our half day student's teacher will be split between two different schools. How THAT'S going to play out is anyone's guess.
We "could" receive up to $1 million in additional state money. No guarantee. We WILL have to build a new building. So can we expect that override to coincide with the $7 million override for the library expansion? What about the $30 million in unfunded pension/benefits liabilities? Do Town leaders think everyone who lives here has an endless supply of cash under the mattress?
Mel Webster
4:58 pm on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Couple of questions. Does the $1.1 million from the state cover all of the costs for full-day kindergarten or will the town have to kick in funds from its budget? Also, given the history of the state and its funding for public education, for how long is this money guaranteed?
Karl Weld
10:51 am on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Mel, the Legislature determines the overall amount of Chapter 70 money every fiscal year.
"On July 8th, 2012, Governor Patrick signed the FY13 state budget which authorizes $4,171,079,892 in Chapter 70 education aid to Massachusetts school districts. Statewide aid increases above FY12 amounts by $180 million or 4.53 percent. Every operating district receives an increase of at least $40 per pupil over FY12." http://finance1.doe.mass.edu/chapter70/chapter_13.html
So it can go up or down every year depending on overall state revenue. There is no guaranteed amount. For several of the past few years, due to the recession, lower state revenue and the resulting budget cuts, our Chapter 70 money was lowered. This forced decreases or level funding of the school budget. With added accommodated costs (benefits increases) and because of the reduced amount of state aid we were forced to layoff staff. There is no guarantee that this won't happen again. In fact, it's quite probable that it will happen again.
Daniel DeMaina
1:40 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Karl, jumping in here only because of my familiarity with this subject: according to the cherry sheets on the state Division of Local Services website (http://www.mass.gov/dor/local-officials/municipal-data-and-financial-management/cherry-sheets/), Reading's Chapter 70 funding was last cut in FY10, down about $250K from the year before. Since then, it has gone up every year. The figures from the cherry sheets:
FY13 = 9,903,702
FY12 = 9.488,181
FY11 = 9,437,516
FY10 = 9,078,931
FY09 = 9,264,215
FY08 = 8,041,967
However, you're absolutely right that there is no guaranteed amount. The governor has said during budget cuts over the past few years that he intended to hold Chapter 70 harmless, but even then, other local aid cuts can have an indirect impact on a town's education funding.
FYI, Melrose has also voted to eliminate its full-day kindergarten fee by funding it for one-year until the additional Chapter 70 funding kicks in: http://melrose.patch.com/articles/full-day-k-funding-gets-initial-ok-from-aldermen
John
4:09 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Daniel, thank you for the facts re: Reading's Chapter 70 funding, it is refreshing to receive accurate information.
Mel Webster
4:27 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
As a school committee member in North Reading, I understand the Chapter 70 program. My question relates directly to the comment in the story that says Reading would receive $1.1 million in additional chapter 70 money if its institutes tuition-free, full-day kindergarten. I simply am trying to find out if that $1.1 million would cover all of the additional costs as a result of going to free, full-day K, or if the costs will be more than that figure thus requiring the school committee to allocate additional funds from its budget.
Daniel DeMaina
4:40 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Good question Mel. According to this previous Patch article from last month (http://patch.com/A-wwWn), School Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Administration Mary DeLa previously told the School Committee that Reading receives $800,000 in tuition from parents of full-day kindergartners — $4,200 per child. So at a cursory glance, it appears that $1.1 million would make up the loss of that revenue without requiring any additional funding.
Karl Weld
5:08 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Daniel, except that not all students currently participate in full-day. What we need to know from the district is what the additional costs will be when all are enrolled in full day. What are the salary ramifications, if any. If we do indeed build a new building the costs of running and maintaining it will be over and above what we're currently paying. A new cafeteria with additional food costs, new gym equipment to maintain and upkeep, additional janitorial staff. All that will eat into that extra $300,000 quickly.
M
10:20 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
800K in tuition from parents of full day K? How much is devoted to the ACTUAL COST of full day K? How come so many other towns, both bigger and smaller than ours, either provide universal FREE K or charge much much less? Woburn, Wilmington, Melrose - FREE. Lexington, Winchester - tuition closer to $1k vs $4.2K. In the fiscal 2013 budget ((see http://www.readingma.gov/Pages/ReadingMA_Finance/Budgets/FY13/FY13%20School%20Committee%20Budget.pdf), K tuition is put into a revolving fund, along with other fees & is treated as "kindergarten tuition revenue fund offset" to be used for anything. Having full day K already in a school with other kids all day is not really adding to the custodian, cafeteria, heat costs -- the K room would be heated anyway, etc. Mainly, seems to be expense of a teacher for the rest of day.
To those who think full day K = "extra playtime"- spend some time in a K class, NOW, esp since MA has common core requirements even for K. K is now what 1st grade used to be. In K they are learning phonics, printing, basic math from day 1 -- there's no play-doh and finger painting. It's not day care.
My oldest did half day K a few years ago, and the morning was so jam packed that the kids often ended up skipping snack time and eating it just before they got out. Because they had to cover the same material as full day, he had 1/2 hour of homework every night.
Karl Weld
12:14 am on Friday, August 31, 2012
M, I was referring to the implication that a new building will be needed to house the kindergarten students since there is no space currently available in the existing buildings. In that case, cafeteria staff and supplies, janitorial services and everything else that goes into the building would be additional costs. As well as construction, utilities and upkeep.
Thomas J. Ryan
9:19 am on Monday, September 3, 2012
Maureen,
If you are an educator, as you claim, you should know that 'full-day' as used is a compound modifier and should be hyphenated.
tobus
Charles Towne
9:29 am on Monday, September 3, 2012
"Free", dog whistle for "paid for by those who actually pay taxes".