By:Angela Marshall
Officials studying part-time/full-time combination
There are no easy answers for the Rockville Centre School Board when it comes to whether it should implement full-day kindergarten. And a hearing Monday night to find out with certainty what the public wants only muddied the waters.
Going in, the board was only considering staying at half-day or changing to full. Extended-day had been ruled out because research studied by Assistant Superintendent Delia Garrity showed no social, academic or emotional improvement under that system. However, because of an outcry by several parents, school officials will now study whether a combination of part-time, full-time or extended hours is feasible.
Dr. William Johnson, superintendent of schools, called the idea a "new wrinkle" in the process but said officials would look into it and he would still be ready to give a recommendation to the board by next week.
About 150 residents attended the hearing, and 58 voiced opinions. Of those, 36 strongly favored full-day kindergarten and 14 wanted no change. At least 10 people, including some who had supported one plan, asked the district to look into some form of extended day or combination. One woman said she was undecided and told board members she did not envy their position.
One idea parents asked the board to consider is a combination of three full-time days and two half-days. They said this would allow for children to learn more than just the academics without the same pressure as a week of full-day learning.
Concern over the current pressure on kindergartners to learn academics was raised by many parents.
A few said the reason they supported full-day K was due to the stressful experiences their children had in kindergarten since the new state standards were released. While the state does not even mandate that a district offer full-day K, it does have a curriculum, which has become increasingly academic, that districts are asked to use.
One person pointed out the differences in experiences her two children had in kindergarten. The first, who is now in middle school, had a much calmer introduction to school than the second, who entered school after the curriculum changes were made.
The superintendent conceded that the standards had a "significant impact" on kindergarten. It has become "much more of an academically-oriented program," Johnson said.
A teacher from the Baldwin School District who lives in the village said she has seen the changes first-hand and there is not enough time to complete the tasks in two-and-a-half hours. "There is no time to repeat and do the enrichment they really need to learn," Julia Wolchok said. "I'm trying to get to the meat of the program and still make it fun."
Another teacher countered, saying that from her experience the children aren't ready for longer days.
"Yes, there are children who are not going to be ready," Wolchok said. Some, she said, were not ready for half-days in September this school year. But, she feels the majority are ready for more.
"I'm sure they can handle it, but that's not the point," said Kathy Lucas, who favors extended-day but, if that's not possible, would rather keep half-day. She said her influence is just as important as that of the teachers.
Many other parents also cited their desire to spend time with their children as the reason they oppose full-day K.
Others said they felt the longer day would cheat their children of their childhood. "A child is a child only once," someone said.
Ron Burke, a former member of the school board and a supporter of half-day, said the fair thing would be to put full-day K up for a referendum. This would mean it would not be included in the budget and that the majority of voters would make the final decision.
Burke said that deciding by referendum should be considered because the change would be a "departure from what may be a 100-year program."
Jeff Greenfield, who serves with Burke on the RVC zoning board, disagreed. He said that removing a definitive kindergarten program from the budget would set a precedent for the school board to put up for referendum any program that might not be fully supported.
Michael Shenker also pushed the board to include a kindergarten decision in the budget. He brought a packet of approximately 300 signed requests asking for full-day K. "Trust me, this community will support it," he said.
One of the last proposals of the night was brought by Wendy Spelfogel. She is a strong proponent of full-day K and does not want to see extended-day as an option. She asked the board to consider another compromise, allowing people to choose between half-day and full-day, as they do in Oceanside.
Because of the differences of opinion expressed in that community, the Oceanside School District began offering a choice, and there has been a steady decline in those selecting half-day. A spokesperson for the district said that in the first year, 49 children were enrolled in half-day, 20 last year and nine this year. Each year there were approximately 490 students in the grade.
If selected, full-day K will cost between $600,000 and $700,000. The average household in Rockville Centre would see a $100 increase in its tax bill, according to Assistant Superintendent Robert Bartels.
The day of reckoning, as some have begun to call it, will be Tuesday, March 20. The board will make its final decision that night, and members have promised to explain their reasoning.
Whatever system the board chooses will be implemented in September.
