Board OKs all-day kindergarten

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BY MARGARET REIST / Lincoln Journal Star

It’s official: By 2008, all students starting their educational careers with Lincoln Public Schools will spend full days in kindergarten.

The Lincoln Board of Education on Tuesday voted 6-1 to require all-day kindergarten, phasing it in over the next three years regardless of what the Legislature says on the issue this session. Board member Doug Evans voted against it.

A priority bill to require all-day kindergarten statewide is pending in the Legislature but hasn’t been debated. The bill grew out of a desire by the state Board of Education to make it a part of its essential education plan.

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(LJS File)

(LJS File)

Much of Nebraska already requires all-day kindergarten, as do 10  schools in the LPS system.

But that doesn’t mean it’s universally supported.

Carmen Skare, mother of two youngsters, urged the board on Tuesday to retain half-day kindergarten as an option. Research on the benefits is not conclusive, she said, and while she supports all-day kindergarten, some children may not be ready for it.

She questioned how all-day kindergarten is better for mothers who choose to stay home and offer their children such educational opportunities as museum visits, or for children in day-care settings where the adult-child ratio is much lower or families who want their children to spend time with grandparents.

Marilyn Moore, LPS associate superintendent for instruction, said offering both all-day and half-day kindergarten would pose significant logistical challenges.

Skare said after the meeting the issue needs more study.

“With the interests of our students in Lincoln Public Schools I’d like to see us step up to that challenge,’’ she said.

Hawthorne Elementary School teacher Sue Johnson, who has taught all-day kindergarten for 30 years, told the board a full day allows students to finish tasks, explore ideas and interact with teachers and classmates. The curriculum won’t change, she said, just the time to teach it.

Riley Elementary School Principal RuthAnn Wylie said she and her staff feel so strongly about the benefits that her school will continue to offer all-day kindergarten regardless of how the board votes.

Some board members also said they were torn, including Evans, who tried unsuccessfully to table the issue for two weeks to allow more time to read the research provided to board members Saturday.

Evans said he hasn’t gotten any calls supporting all-day kindergarten but more than 20 opposing it.

Board member Keith Prettyman said his own daughter was urging him to vote against the change. On the other hand, he said, every kindergarten teacher he’s talked to supports it.

Other board members fully supported the change. Don Mayhew pointed out it will be required by the state eventually, even if it doesn’t happen this year.

Board member Ed Zimmer said the district has been moving in this direction for some time, including  telling voters that part of the $250 million bond issue passed in February was needed to add space to accommodate all-day kindergarten.

“We’ve started down the path to implementing this,’’ he said. “This is a good moment to take a definitive step.”

Reach Margaret Reist at 473-7226 or mreist@journalstar.com.

Phasing in all-day kindergarten

Lincoln Public Schools will phase in all-day kindergarten over the next three years. Here’s the plan:

Schools that already have all-day kindergarten: Arnold, Clinton, Elliott, Hartley, Huntington, McPhee, Riley, Belmont, Hawthorne and Norwood Park.

2006-07: Beattie, Brownell, Prescott, Saratoga, Everett and West Lincoln (latter two now have extended day).

2007-08: Calvert, Holmes, Lakeview, Meadow Lane, Pershing, Pyrtle, Randolph, Sheridan and Zeman. LPS will assume costs of all-day kindergarten at Belmont, Hawthorne and Norwood Park now being paid with Title 1 money.

2008-09: Campbell, Cavett, Eastridge, Fredstrom, Hill, Humann, Kahoa, Maxey, Morley, Roper and Rousseau.