Details of All-Day Kindergarten Plan on School Board Agenda Tonight

All-day, everyday kindergarten will cost $2.6 million to implement next year. But if state lawmakers make this type of kindergarten mandatory for school districts to receive full school funding in the near future, not having it could cost the district about $3.7 million a year.

Those funding details are part of a comprehensive report that will be presented at Monday night's Board of Education meeting. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the Harrison Room of the School Administration Building; it is open to the public.

A committee of administrators, teachers and parents has been working on a plan for all-day, everyday kindergarten since early 2011, when school leaders first indicated they would support the conversion.

Currently, most Rochester elementary schools offer half-day kindergarten; some offer all-day alternate day programs.

According to the committee's report, at least two-thirds of kindergarten children in the United States receive a full day of instruction. "Research indicates that full-day kindergarten: contributes to increased school success, leads to higher academic achievement, improves student attendance, benefits children socially and emotionally, reduces retention and remediation rates and positively impacts academic achievement through eighth grade," the report states.

The biggest expenditure for implementation of the program would be in personnel. The committee's recommendation shows the hiring of 14 new kindergarten teachers, three teachers for special subjects (art, music and gym) and the conversion of 18 half-time teachers to full-time status.

In addition, the committee recommends the addition of 50 paraprofessional hours*, some for supervising the students at lunch and recess and others to help in the classroom.

"Early childhood paraprofessionals are an essential component and preferably should be scheduled an hour in the morning for literacy block and an hour in the afternoon during either math workshop or thematic centers," the report states.

Among other considerations:

• Busing: Three to four additional routes, drivers and buses would be added to the transportation plan.
• Technology: An iPad instruction program is among the ideas being explored for the all-day kindergarten curriculum.
• Camp: The committee is suggesting the addition of a kindergarten camp to the district's elementary summer learning program. The target audience would be students who have not had a preschool experience, and scholarships would be available based on need.
• Classrooms: At least 18 additional classrooms would be needed. Schools would use existing K-Club classrooms, science rooms and portable classrooms.

A copy of the full report is attached to this story and can be downloaded in PDF form.

There will be a kindergarten information night for parents in the district at 7 p.m. Feb. 13 at

Clarification: An earlier version of the story indicated the committee would be recommending the hiring of 50 paraprofessionals; in fact, it is recommending 50 additional hours of paraprofessional help, which would likely be performed by existing paraprofessionals.