Jackson Local Schools will be going to the all-day, every-day kindergarten option next fall after the decision came at a special board of education meeting Tuesday night.
The decision was not unanimous, with board members Thomas Winkhart, Scott Gindlesberger and Kathryn Knowles in favor of the switch with Chris Goff and Ken Douglas in waiver of the one-year waiver available by the state to postpone ADED kindergarten until the 2011-2012 school year.
The board started the meeting by opening up discussion from the crowd that was in attendance. There were over 30 people in attendance, and everyone in attendance was in favor of ADED for various reasons.
Resident Jennifer Austin said she was a GlenOak High School English teacher and felt Jackson needed to make the switch to stay competitive with other Stark County schools.
Lake Local Schools was also brought up by resident Greg Campbell, who mentioned in the numbers he saw, Lake Schools were ahead of Jackson by percentage points, and they made the switch to ADED last week. In response to this, the board did mention Hudson, Cuyahoga Falls and Green decided to use the waiver instead of going to ADED.
Other residents spoke on various topics, citing previous experience and passed levies as ground for the switch.
After hearing several residents, Superintendent Cheryl Haschak talked about the results from the survey that was available on the school's Web site. The overwhelming majority was in favor of ADED, but they also wanted the half-day option. There were people concerned financially about the change, and added residents of her generation don't see the need for ADED when they did not have kindergarten at all when they were growing up.
She also pointed out one passionate resident that voted 63 times in favor of ADED, but the system could tell when people did multiple surveys.
The board members then gave their opinions on the matter.
Douglas didn't like that the state of Ohio mandated ADED without funding it. With Jackson getting $1,000 per child compared to $6,000 per child like some other school districts, it makes it harder to fund. With 80 percent of residents not having a child in the school system, he said he was afraid of the reaction if the schools had to ask for more on the levy in the future. With $500,000 in additional costs per year, and a five-year forecast not looking as good as it stands currently, money was his main reason for voting down ADED. Douglas was for the benefits of ADED and likes the idea if ignoring the money issue.
Goff mentioned Governor Ted Strickland, who was behind this mandate, might not be reelected this year. If so, House Bill 1 which mandates ADED, might be overturned. He brought up Cuyahoga Falls and Hudson using the one-year waiver option as well. He did say ADED is in the best interest of students in any district, but also was concerned about the hole it would create in the five-year forecast plan.
Gindlesberger mentioned his four children and how one went through ADED, and he wished the others had. He mentioned the curriculum would change from the current all-day pay option currently in place, and the switch needs to be made because this upcoming year's students are just as important as the year after that.
Knowles referenced her young brother who is a slower learner. He took two years of preschool before doing the all-day kindergarten option, and looking at his progress now at the fourth grade level, that wouldn't have been possible had he gone half-day instead.
President Winkart mentioned the financial burden ADED brings, but after reading the surveys, he saw from the answers how his opinion changed on kindergarten when his children were growing up. Early on, he wanted his children home more, but as time went on he saw the benefits of all-day kindergarten. Winkart added in his nine years on the boad, this has been a priority to him and its a good thing the state is at that point as well, but even then the state can only help so much. His final thought was that even though he wasn't sure how much the schools would save long-term by having children go to ADED, he thought they would be “more efficient” going through the schooling process.
Afterwards, the board opened up the floor to the public again, which spurred many questions on the costs of ADED versus the current set up. The board cited adding four and a half new teachers would cost $180,000, there is a loss of $300,000 in tuiton parents pay for current all-day kindergarten, along with bussing the children. Currently the $300,000 pays for the teachers doing the all-day kindergarten option, and that would be gone.
Haschak said that they have enough room in the buildings to house all of the children, but desks might need to be purchased.
Kindergarten registration
Registration for kindergarten begins Monday, Feb. 1 through Feb. 5, between 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. At Amherst, Lake Cable, Sauder and Strausser Elementaries. There will be one night of evening registration on Feb. 4 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Parents are not required to bring their child.
A student visitation day will be held in the month of May, where parents can sign up for a convenient day.
Children must be 5 years old before Sept. 30. Please bring a board of health issued birth certificate with you. Also, proof of legal residency – voter registration card, rental agreement or a utility bill in your name, custody papers if applicable, the student's social security number and immunization records are required.
Registration forms can be downloaded at www.jackson.stark.k12.oh.us.
Questions can be directed to Amherst Elemtary Principal Elaine Ferguson, 330-830-8024; Lake Cable Principal Kathy Clark, 330-494-8171; Sauder Principal Cindy Brown, 330-830-8028 or Strausser Principal Susanne Waltman, 330-830-8056.
Retirements
There were two other actions the board took during the night. Four people turned in retirement papers – High School Spanish teacher Patricia Crookston at the end of the year, Middle School Social Studies teacher David McCoy at the first opportunity, Sauder Kindergarten teacher Karlene Cook after May 31 and Sauder Elementary reading teacher Emily Travis on May 31.
There were classified employees hired as well, but the names and positions are not yet available.
