Full-day kindergarten still a go if enrollment allows
By Caitlyn Kelleher JOURNAL REPORTER

The Ashburnham- Westminster Regional School Committee voted to continue tuition-based full-day kindergarten after a debate on the practicality and the philosophy of the program.

The tuition-based program was started in 2004 and is designed so that parents pay for the cost of half the day. The state mandates school districts offer half-day kindergarten for free.

"I've supported this over the last four years," School Committee Chairman David Christianson said.

But he said it doesn't look like the state is going to step up and help cover costs any time soon.

The tuition covers the expense of the extra hours for the teachers, the aid and the supplies. In that respect the committee voted to increase the tuition $100 to cover what Business Administrator Sherry Kersey said was the true cost of the program. The tuition will be $2,700 per student this year.

Students are chosen for the program by lottery if more students apply then there are slots for. There was a waiting list for students at Meetinghouse Elementary School in Westminster in the spring, but by the time school started all of the students had been accepted off the list, said Meetinghouse Principal David Marble.

The full-day class was not filled at Briggs in Ashburnham this year.

"At what point is it too costly to run this program," asked School Committee Gwen Farely.

Christianson said it's the school committee's role to approve the program, but the administration must decide if it can support itself.

The committee also discussed the current kindergarten schedule. The district runs a kindergarten program where students attend for two full-days and one half-day.

"Is the 2.5 day program really the best we can do for our children," asked Dean Rios of Westminster.

Rios's son attended the preschool program at Meetinghouse Elementary School and his son has a special education plan that suggests the continuity of school five days a week would be beneficial. But he and his wife are concerned about the cost of the full-day program and the idea of sending their child to school for five full days.

"I haven't seen research that says two full days and a half day is better then five half days," said Jennifer Rios.

The two elementary school principals said they don't have research, but noted teachers prefer the current schedule because it allows for more on-task time. The shift in schedule was made during the budget crunch a few years ago.

Christianson thanked the Rioses for coming and for raising the issues.

"Your concerns don't fall on deaf ears," he said.

School committee members whose children went through the current kindergarten schedule said they were surprised at how much they and their children enjoyed it.

Marble said he and Briggs Principal Candace Wright were sitting down with Special Education Director Alan Chates to discuss the special education requirements and issues associated with consistency.

In other business:

+ The committee voted to raise the price of school lunches as of April 23. The price will increase 25 cents for a student lunch, 50 cents for an adult lunch and 10 cents for a la carte items. The move is in reaction to a continuing deficit in the school lunch program.

+ State Representatives Bob Rice and Lew Evangelidis attended the meeting and addressed issues from transportation reimbursement, to merit pay for teachers and the status of proposed alterations to state law.