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55 °F Forecast | Road Cams Monday, September 20, 2004 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 How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People 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 September 8, 2004 Full-day kindergarten discussion left open Medford board will take up the Griffin Creek proposal again By JACK MORAN Mail Tribune The Medford School Board has yet to shut the door on the possibility of full-day kindergarten classes at Griffin Creek Elementary School. Following a long discussion Tuesday on the pros and cons of a plan to double instructional time given to Griffin Creek kindergartners, the school board decided to study the issue later this month before making a final determination. "We need to encourage parents, and not be a roadblock," school board member Larry Frodsham said after Tuesday night’s meeting. "I hate to make a decision without knowing what all the ramifications are." Board members said that while they support the idea of full-day kindergarten, financial realities may prevent it from happening at Griffin Creek. The district provides all-day instruction at seven elementary schools that serve low-income students. Federal Title 1 funds pay for the extended school day. Griffin Creek is not one of those schools. Advertisement But after interim district Superintendent Kathy McCollum endorsed Griffin Creek Principal Ginny Hicks’ proposal to provide full-day classes for kindergartners, parents of 11 students signed up to pay $500 a quarter for the extra instruction. Just one of those parents, Lisa Burt, spoke at Tuesday’s meeting. "I am very disappointed the decision was made" to not start the all-day program at the beginning of the school year, Burt said. McCollum apologized to school board members for not bringing the proposal to their attention before Burt and other parents were told it was a go. "We decided it sounded like a good idea," she said. "We didn’t think of all the ramifications." The board is hesitant to go forward with the plan because of the possibility that not all kindergartners’ families could afford the $500 per quarter. If the full-day program was opened to all students, the district would likely have to cover the extra costs. "It’s hard to kill the good parental involvement," board Chairman Mike Moran said. "But the way this was set up, it was not really going to work. It’s definitely worth some more discussion." Moran said it might be possible to find a solution that would allow full-day kindergarten classes to begin at some point in the future, maybe as soon as the spring semester. Hicks said she was glad the board was open to studying the issue, adding that she did not expect full-day kindergarten to be a "controversial" idea. "I didn’t think educating 5-year-olds would be this difficult," she said following the meeting. The state reimburses school districts for a half-day of kindergarten. Last week, a pair of Oregon legislators said they plan to introduce a plan to require all public schools in the state to offer full-day kindergarten. Currently, Oregon is one of 16 states that does not pay for full-day kindergarten classes. Nationwide, about 60 percent of kindergartners attend full-day classes, according to the Education Commission of the States, a Denver-based policy advisory committee. Reach reporter Jack Moran at 776-4459, 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 © 1997-2004 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