PORT ANGELES — The discussion about how the fee-based full-day kindergarten at Port Angeles School District will work is far from over, says Steve Baxter, School Board president.
The board voted June 8 to have full-day kindergarten with tuition ranging between $30 and $280 per month, excluding parents who choose to enroll their children in half-day classes.
Half-day students will be in the same classes as full-day students.
The motion passed in a 4-1 vote with board member Lonnie Linn opposed.
Baxter said that although the board hopes that most, if not all, students are signed up in the tuition-based full-day classes, the free half-day option is not excluded.
Superintendent Gary Cohn said Monday that although the board was not explicit regarding how the program should be implemented for the free half-day program, the option of taking a child out at half daywas not excluded by the board’s action.
Lots of feedback
“The board didn’t say that parents could not take the kids out for half a day,” Cohn said.
“So what we are working on now, and one of our key challenges is, to address the adjustments in instructional delivery so that the students who stay for only half of a day don’t have a hit-and-miss schedule, because that is not acceptable.”
What was excluded by the motion was the option of having classes specifically dedicated to those half-day sessions.
Cohn and Baxter both said that the district has heard from many parents about the vote.
“We’ve had a lot of feedback and concerns,” Baxter said.
“The biggest concern I’ve heard is what they will do with their children if they can’t afford the pricing schedule.
“Most people don’t want to pay at all — I don’t want anyone to have to pay either.”
Baxter said that some parents had invited him to a meeting at 7 tonight at the Camp Fire Club House, 619 E. Fourth St.
“This discussion is not over,” he said.
Baxter said the board would discuss the issue at either the June 22 regular meeting or he would call a special meeting before that to discuss it, but he had not determined a date.
The state Legislature funds half-day kindergarten. At least a half day of kindergarten is required for students in Washington state.
Cohn estimated that next year’s kindergarten class would have between 250 and 280 students.
With the district focusing on a full-day kindergarten model, Cohn said that transportation options are not clear.
“That all depends on how many register for which option,” he said.
“We could end up with no transportation for half day or we could end up with the same sort of transportation we have had — that is really up in the air right now.”
Nathan Olson, spokesman for the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, said the model was legal.
Olson said that at least a free half-day of kindergarten is required.
“Ultimately, it is our goal to have all students in full-day kindergarten,” he said.
“It is a better educational model, but we also understand that there are costs, and it isn’t funded by the state.”
Kindergarten parents and guardians requesting additional information should phone the district at 360-457-8575 and leave contact information.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
