School board ends all-day kindergarten enrichment program
February 8, 2010 10:03 PM
The Corvallis School Board voted Monday night to support Superintendent Dawn Tarzian's recommendation to end the district's all-day kindergarten enrichment program in June. The vote was 6 to 1.
Full-day academic programs still will be available, however, to kindergarteners at Lincoln and Garfield Elementary, the district's two school-wide Title 1 schools through 2010-2011.
A tuition-based enrichment program has been available to Corvallis parents since 1994. The program was self-sustaining until this past year when the Oregon Legislature and Attorney General's office issued new guidelines which created a more than $50,000 shortfall in funding.
The Corvallis Public School Foundation agreed to subsidize the program this year, but the cost is expected to increase. Though they were reluctant to suspend what has been a popular and beneficial program, in light of future funding issues, board members indicated they could not justify the additional cost of continuing the enrichment program at the expense of other district-wide priorities including limiting class sizes. Business director Roy Burling had reported that the district is already facing a $2 million shortfall in the 2010-2011 budget.
District staff have pledged to work with local child care providers to help develop high-quality, affordable options for those families who will be affected by this decision. One meeting with those interested in perhaps offering an afternoon program at school sites has already taken place. Another meeting will be scheduled soon to provide more details about a potential partnership now that the board has made a formal decision.
The district hopes to provide information about possible alternatives for the other half of the day to families of next year's kindergarten students by early April.
