The head of the state’s school system wants to see full-time kindergarten far more accessible than it is today.
“I think we have a shot,” said Terry Bergeson, the state superintendent of public instruction. Elizabeth Armstrong / The Herald
Bergeson hopes a committee appointed by Gov. Chris Gregoire and studying the state’s school system makes a push in a report later this year for full-time kindergarten to be available statewide.
Such an expansion could take several years; money and classroom space are considered the biggest obstacles.
“It’s clearly going to have to be some kind of phase-in, perhaps over six years,” Bergeson said.
The state schools’ chief argues that the early investment could bring savings and more successful students later.
“We spend a fortune on remediation for kids when we could spend much less on the front end,” Bergeson said.
In Snohomish County, some districts offer full-time kindergarten while others maintain a traditional half-day program.
Twenty-seven percent of the county’s kindergarten students attend a full day of school five days a week. That’s up from 16 percent five years ago, according to Herald surveys.
For now, the state provides money for a half-day of kindergarten.
In full-time kindergarten, districts typically charge tuition that covers half or all of the cost. Full-cost kindergarten tuition varies but is typically about $2,000.
Tuition is paid for 54 percent of the students in full-time kindergarten in Snohomish County.
Some districts pay the entire cost, using federal money or state funds from Initiative 728, which Washington voters approved in 2000 to improve student achievement.
Educators believe the extra time to learn in all-day kindergarten and emphasis on language development, a key to reading, is making a difference for students, particularly those from low-income homes.
“There is a growing body of research that says the benefits of all-day kindergarten are very strong for all kids,” said Gail Miller, the Marysville School District’s assistant superintendent who was the early childhood education director in Tacoma for six years.
“It takes stress off kids,” she said. “They have more time to learn things. There is more time for play. There is more time to explore. There is more time to spend and linger on a topic that really interests kids.”
Marysville offers free all-day kindergarten. It has 440 of its 814 kindergarten students attending fulltime. There are 64 families on a waiting list.
Sharon Kanehen teaches full-day kindergarten at Cougar Creek Elementary in Lakewood and previously taught half days.
“It makes a big difference,” she said. “It’s just broader and deeper. You can take the kids so much farther. By the end of September, they are into their routines.”
The students develop stamina but also have more time for academic exploration, she said.
The 20 minutes she reads to them from chapter books after recess are a calm and relaxed time, but students absorb language and plot.
The other day, Kanehen gave her students a 20-word spelling test. Half the class got all the words right. Most others were close.
There is also extra time to work with students individually to ensure, for instance, they can hear and make each letter sound in words they learn to read.
Bergeson acknowledges that finding classroom space is a big concern.
Consider the Mukilteo School District where there are six all-day, every-day kindergarten classes and 38 half-day classes.
“If we were to accommodate all 44 kindergarten sessions with a full-day classroom, we would need to add another 18 classrooms,” said Andy Muntz, a Mukilteo schools spokesman. “That’s the equivalent of adding one complete elementary school building.”
Money is also a hurdle and a sliding fee schedule for some families is a possibility.
“We are just beginning to get into that discussion,” Bergeson said. “It will take at least (six years) to get the plan in place and the funding sorted out.”
Reporter Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446 or email@example.com.
Elizabeth Armstrong / The Herald
Kindergartner Blake Funston, 6, listens intently for the next spelling word during his full-day kindergarten class.