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48 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, January 27, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend December 19, 2004 Day-long kindergarten effort falls short at Griffin Creek By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune Griffin Creek Elementary won’t open an all-day kindergarten Jan. 3 as officials had hoped when students return to class. They failed to raise enough money to offer a full-day kindergarten funded by tuition and scholarships. Encouraged at the outset by several teachers, Principal Ginny Hicks in August proposed an expanded kindergarten program for students whose parents paid quarterly tuition. Parents responded enthusiastically, but the district put on the brakes after concerns surfaced about the fairness of a public school offering a tuition-based program for those who could afford it. After months of discussion, the Medford School Board agreed to let Griffin Creek pursue an all-day kindergarten if it could come up with money for the teacher’s salary and classroom materials at no cost to the district. The board also required that supporters provide scholarship funds for low-income kids whose parents couldn’t pay tuition but still wanted the extra hours of instruction. Supporters estimated they would need to raise $60,000 to pay a teacher’s salary and benefits. Linda Evans, a retired vice principal from North Medford High School who co-owns Jacksonville Inn with her husband, Jerry, volunteered to help with fund-raising for the program, but the efforts ultimately proved unsuccessful. Advertisement "We don’t have the money," Hicks said. She said Evans had helped secure a $500 donation from the school’s business partner, Avista, and had applied for a $21,000 grant. However, without the full amount available, the program can’t start. "The board supports the idea of the community helping fund programs, but we need the money up front because there is no wiggle room in our budget," said Phil Long, the district’s elementary education director. Hicks said she has notified parents that full-day kindergarten won’t start after winter break. If money becomes available, the program could gear up at the start of the third or fourth quarters of the school year. One mother has asked about transferring her kindergartner to a school that offers full-day classes, and such a transfer likely would be approved, Hicks said. The Medford School District provides all-day instruction for kindergartners at seven elementary schools in low-income neighborhoods. The state only reimburses schools for a half-day of instruction for the youngest pupils, but the district uses federal Title 1 funds to pay for an extended day at schools that get federal money to serve the poor. Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers