Spencerport continues to explore full-day kindergarten

More than 70 parents and concerned citizens attended the second kindergarten forum at the Spencerport School District to voice their opinions.

Jim Alexander, committee chair and principal on special assignment, said there are a number of reasons for a school district to consider full day kindergarten.

"There are a lot of changes that has occurred in the past few years with the implementation of New York State curricular standards," Alexander said. "Kindergarten teachers are finding they need more time to offer the complete curriculum."

One of the changes that has evolved is that kindergarten students are expected to be reading simple books and doing simple writing before the end of the kindergarten year.

A two-and-a-half hour day simply isn't sufficient, Alexander said.

"We did a survey and found that 90 percent of the students we have in kindergarten right now have already had preschool experience so they are ready for full day kindergarten," he said.

The idea of full day kindergarten incites passion on both sides of the coin. There are parents who feel the full day is simply too much for their child and want to have their children home with them part of the day, while other parents feel their child will get a better education if they attend a full day kindergarten program. Alexander said senior citizens in the community have attended the meetings to raise their concerns on how a full day program might impact taxes.

The state education department encourages full day programs by offering incentives to those schools that implement them. Alexander said funding for full day programs has been included in the state budget for the past several years.

The committee studying full day kindergarten expects to make its recommendation to the superintendent by mid-February. A decision by the school board is likely by the end of February.