What’s the Status of Full-Day Kindergarten in Your Community?

For months, Early Ed Watch has read about states and school districts cutting pre-kindergarten programs and eliminating free full-day kindergarten. When the Arizona State Legislature voted to cut funding for full-day kindergarten earlier this year to save $218.2 million, many school districts decided to find ways to pay for it themselves.

We have blogged about the benefits of full-day kindergarten before, and we are pleased to see school districts making it a priority.

According to an article in The Arizona Republic, here is how some Arizona districts have decided to compensate for the lost funding: 

• Chandler Unified School District pulled $7 million from its contingency account.
• Kyrene School District made administrative reductions and dipped into contingency funds to make up the anticipated $2.5 million cut.
• Temple Elementary School District will cover the $1.8 million shortfall with a voter-approved override measure.
• Gilbert Public Schools will be able to continue to offer full-day kindergarten due to the passage of a one-cent sales tax increase.
• In the article, Mesa Public Schools’ Assistant Superintendent Gerrick Monroe said that free full-day kindergarten is a priority for the district and that MPS would make cuts in other areas.  Mesa is Arizona’s largest school district and must mitigate a loss of $25 million. 

Early Ed Watch wants to hear from you: Does your school district offer free full-day kindergarten? Has its funding been in jeopardy? How does your district cover the cost? We have been tracking full-day kindergarten offerings in school districts across the country. Let us know what is happening where you live!