Once promising all day Kindergarten falls short
Published on March 3rd, 2004
STONEHAM, MA - Already boasting growth of about 150 percent, Stoneham's full day Kindergarten program continues to look for a few good students.
This past September saw the town's full-day Kindergarten pilot program run alongside the regular two and a half day program, and for next year, the program will be expanding. But as of this writing, that growth is not large enough for some.
School Superintendent Dr. Joseph Connelly reported to the School Committee last week that while the intent was to offer one session of the full day program in each of the four elementary schools for the 2004-2005 school year, response to date has not yet reached sufficient enrollment numbers to spread it out around the town.
With a minimum student enrollment requirement of 12 students needed per session, the school department has come up a few students short to offer the program at each of the four elementary schools. At this point, the full day Kindergarten program for next year will be offered at three schools, Robin Hood, South, and Colonial Park.
With enrollments of 12, 12, and 14 respectively, these programs are expected to break even at Robin Hood and South and generate a small profit with 14 at Colonial Park. Central School enrollment came in at only 9, forcing Connelly to bypass opening a session at that school. Instead, the Central School families who had signed up can still utilize the full day program, but must choose a different location.
Letters regarding this have been sent to all Central School families who had enrolled and deposits have been returned while the families decide their next step. Each full day session can handle a maximum of 20 students.
Elm Street resident Michelle Dufour wants her son to attend the full day program, particularly for the extras the program offers, such as art, as well as for what she considers an opportunity to spread out the timing in learning the curriculum, but she wants it at Central School.
"We feel it would be nice for the kids to go to the same school they'll continue at," she said, speaking on behalf of other Central School district parents who signed up for the program. In addition, Dufour said that some parents already have children in the Central School and that enrolling a Kindergartner in another school would be an inconvenience.
According to Connelly, only one family who signed up for Central School has indicated that it will choose one of the other three schools. He is unsure what the other eight intend to do, but in the meantime, the school department has been contacting people on the census list with Kindergarten age children who have not yet signed up for the regular two and half day program to gauge their interest in the full day program. Connelly encourages anyone considering the full day program to contact the school department.
Dufour wants to make sure Central School district parents know enough about the program to consider it, with the further hope that additional enrollments come in and enable Central School to offer a fourth full day session.
According to Connelly, this first year of the full day program, which is offered at South School with teacher Linda O'Brien, has been a success. Fifteen students are enrolled in that class.
"We've gotten very positive feedback."
The full day program doubles the instructional time for the young students and allows more opportunity for reinforcing skills. It also benefits the half time program by taking some of those students and thereby keeping half day class sizes down.
Tuition for next year will remain the same as this year at $3,500 per child.
If more enrollments from the Central School district are received, the eight families who received their deposits back will be contacted to see if they are still interested. Connelly reiterated that 12 students are needed to justify offering a fourth location at Central School.
A full day Kindergarten program at no cost to families has been one of the School Committee's goals for some time. While that has not been economically feasible, putting in place a quality program, albeit with a fee, is one step forward in helping that goal be realized one day.
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