Document text
1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate NEWS NOW Our View: Importing game birds: a turkey of an idea ... Faulty towers: How will Medford pay $6 million in cost overruns for police and fire stations? ... Q&A on station cost overruns with Daniel Bunn ... Our View: Importing game birds: a turkey of an idea ... Faulty towers: How will Medford pay $6 million in cost overruns for police and fire stations? ... Q&A on station cost overruns with Daniel Bunn ... SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: State funding may or may not cover full-day K Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 31, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Aug. 31, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News I know that schools all over Oregon are adding full-day kindergarten, as required by the state. My question is, did the state provide the funding to cover all the costs of doing that, or are the school districts stuck with part of the bill (at the expense of other programs)? —Joyce J., Medford Joyce, the cost of implementing full-day kindergarten will vary from district to district depending on whether they have enough classroom space, desks, chairs, etc. However, because state funding is tied to enrollment, districts that choose to offer full-day kindergarten will receive more money from the state because they are serving more students. This money goes into their general fund with all the rest and, depending on the district and the start-up costs involved, may or may not be enough, explained Oregon Department Education spokeswoman Crystal Greene. “Districts don’t get money specifically for kindergarten,” she said. “They get money for their district to use as they see fit.” If the start-up costs exceed the increase, districts will have to offset that with additional money from their general fund or choose not to offer a full-day kindergarten program. In some cases, districts may have fewer start-up costs and, therefore, more money to spend on other programs. The Medford School District expects it will just about break even in year one, said Chief Operations Officer Brad Earl. District officials estimate that 1,000 students will attend full-day kindergarten this year. If it receives the estimated $7,126 per student from the state, that’s an extra $7 million in the budget. The district spent about $1.8 million on furniture, curriculum and modulars for schools with no available classroom space and will spend a little more than $5 million on teaching staff and other materials, said Earl, adding that these numbers don’t include overhead and administrative costs. Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected] . To see a collection of columns, go to mailtribune.com/youasked . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 31, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501