USD 481 Approves All Day Kindergarten
Additional instruction will be funded with new at-risk money
March 15, 2006
Continuing their quest to invest money early in the the lives of children to address achievement gaps, the USD 481 Board of Education unanimously approved all day kindergarten for the 2006-07 school year.
All day kindergarten will be conducted during normal school hours, 8:00am - 3:30pm, Monday through Friday. Families of children who are at appropriate developmental levels will also have an opt-out option, allowing them to pick up their children at the middle part of the day. Morning and afternoon transportation will be available to kindergarten students with existing bus routes.
All day kindergarten has been a hot topic in the state of Kansas. The State Board of Education voted 10-0 to recommend the Kansas Legislature to fund all day kindergarten. Over a dozen Kansas school districts have approved such programming since January. Although the legislature still currently funds half day programming, USD 481 will use new at-risk money to fund the other portion of the day. USD 481 received approximately $80,000 in new at-risk money due to a current court case that demonstrated the legislature was under funding education based on the Kansas constitution. At-risk funding can only be used to fund programs which specifically address achievement gaps between children.
The most common concern for families when installing an all-day kindergarten is whether the curriculum is developmentally appropriate for 5 and 6 year old children. An all-day curriculum is much different than first grade. Core curricular activities are conducted during the morning hours. During the afternoon, rest time, hands-on activities and guided physical activity will reinforce what is learned earlier in the day.
For more information regarding all day kindergarten, email or call the superintendent, Chris Kleidosty, at 785-366-7215.
