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| Administration > Communications |
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| Jan. 12 >> Board members approve full-day kindergarten |
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Board members unanimously approved a proposal on Jan. 19 to provide full-day, every-day kindergarten at all 10 elementary schools in Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191, at no cost to parents beginning in the fall.
"Full-day kindergarten is an effective way to leverage our limited dollars to maximize student academic achievement," said Superintendent Randy Clegg. "This investment in early learning will increase student success for years to come."
Kindergarten is important because it provides children with a solid foundation of knowledge and skills in reading, writing and mathematics upon which all future learning will be built, said Clegg. Schools are preparing students for success in a competitive, global economy so expectations for every grade level — including kindergarten — have increased.
Download the Family Guide to Kindergarten
Common Questions About Full-Day Kindergarten
Twenty-nine states fund full-day kindergarten, including Wisconsin, Iowa and South Dakota. Minnesota does not fund it but at least 207 of Minnesota’s 341 school districts offer full-day kindergarten in some of their schools. Some metro districts, including St. Paul, Inver Grove Heights, Stillwater, Fridley and North St. Paul-Maplewood, offer it in all their schools. Another 35 school districts, including District 191, pair their half-day kindergarten programs with a fee-based extended kindergarten program for families that can afford it. But some families cannot afford full-day kindergarten, and that only widens the achievement gap, Clegg said.
"Full-day kindergarten provides more time to diagnose learning needs and provide more individual attention and support to all students whether they are struggling or soaring," said Clegg. "It's a worthwhile investment."
Full-day kindergarten will be funded by reallocating $1.5 million of the $5.4 million that the district receives in compensatory dollars from the state based upon the number of students who qualify for free- or reduced-price meals.
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