Wabash Valley school leaders are hopeful they will benefit from additional state funding for full-day kindergarten, although there was much confusion Friday about how the money would be distributed.
On Friday, Gov. Mitch Daniels announced that a more optimistic state revenue forecast means an additional $150 million can go to Indiana’s public schools. He wants about 25 percent — or $38 million — to go for full-day kindergarten funding.
He’s asked Republican legislative leaders to add the $150 million to the budget bill now being crafted.
State officials later clarified that the funds for full-day kindergarten would be added to the existing full-day kindergarten state grant.
Donna Wilson, Vigo County School Corp. chief financial officer, cautioned that many people, upon hearing the news, believed it would fully fund full-day kindergarten in Indiana.
“It does not … That’s a misnomer,” Wilson said. “It’s important people understand that.”
Once Daniels made his announcement and it began making headlines, “We immediately received calls,” Wilson said.
Stephanie Sample, communications director for the state Department of Education, clarified that the additional funding will be part of the current full-day kindergarten grant program. “It will work the same way it always has,” she said.
This year, the program has $58.5 million available, and the additional revenues for next year are estimated at $38 million.
The state takes the pot of money — which could be about $96 million next year — and divides it by the total number of Indiana students in full-day kindergarten. Each district then receives the same flat dollar amount of money per FDK student.
Schools will have to offer full-day kindergarten to benefit. “Some school corporations are afraid we’ll target schools that don’t offer it [to receive the new money]. That’s not the case at all,” Sample said.
Based on early announcements, Wilson wasn’t clear how it would impact the Vigo County School Corp. Currently through the state grant, the district receives $1,029 per student in full-day kindergarten, which does not cover the full cost. “The current amount we get only funds a portion of that extended day,” she said.
The district currently offers full-day kindergarten at 11 Title 1 schools. Recently, the School Board approved a plan to offer a full-day program at the other seven (non-Title) elementary schools, although parents would have to pay for the added half day. Officials said the extended day program at those schools had to be self-supporting.
Dan Tanoos, Vigo schools superintendent, said Friday evening the district is analyzing what the governor’s announcement will mean for the district’s overall full-day kindergarten program.
Several Wabash Valley school districts offer full-day kindergarten at elementary schools, including Clay Community Schools, Rockville Community Schools, Southwest Sullivan School Corp. and Northeast Sullivan School Corp. Officials at those districts hoped to benefit from the additional state funding, but weren’t clear early Friday afternoon about details regarding how it would be distributed.
Rockville has three sections of full-day kindergarten, said superintendent Randall Kerkhoff. It is funded through the general fund and the state full-day kindergarten grant; the grant covers about 75 percent of the cost of one of the kindergarten teachers.
The district felt it was important to implement full-day kindergarten several years ago because of the benefits to children in preparing them for later grades, he said.
Clay Community Schools offers full-day kindergarten at all seven elementary schools, said Carolyn Kumpf, director of personnel, data and food services. They’ve offered it since 2007-08, when the state grant became available. The district also uses its general fund.
“We really feel that full-day kindergarten has helped our students make great strides and has pushed them academically ahead of where they were when we had a half-day program,” Kumpf said.
Northeast Sullivan Schools offers a full-day kindergarten program funded through the general fund and state grant program, said Superintendent Mark Baker.
“I can’t say enough about the full-day kindergarten program,” Baker said. “By the end of the year, those kindergarten students are counting past 100 and they are reading.”
Southwest Sullivan also offers full-day kindergarten and was considering going back to a half-day program next year to cut costs, said Superintendent Walter Hoke.
But the School Board believes that cutting back on the full-day program would not be in children’s best interest, particularly with new third-grade reading requirements, Hoke said.
The full-day program, funded through the general fund and the state grant, will continue next year, Hoke said.
The grant “helps quite a bit, but doesn’t fully fund it,” he said.
Increased state funding for full-day kindergarten could increase the amount the district receives, depending on how many students statewide enroll in full-day programs, he said.
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