“The first year of this biennial budget will be devoted to a planning year,” Strickland said. “We want the schools to have adequate time to look at what’s being required — to understand the evidence based approach. During this first biennium, we want to make sure that all day, every day kindergarten is available throughout our entire state. That will be the first of the evidence-based component parts that we will require.”
From there, he said the rest of his model will be phased in along with funding for it. Under the plan, all students enrolled in kindergarten will be counted and funded as full-time students regardless of a parent’s choice to enroll the child full- or part-time.
Last year Fairfield had about 700 kindergartners, and Superintendent Cathy Milligan said she anticipates about the same number this fall.
“Offering all-day kindergarten one year from now will be very challenging,” she said. “We’re looking at exactly what it will take. But right away, we know we need more teachers and more classrooms. If we don’t have the capacity to do it, we may have to request a waiver.”
The Ohio Schools Facility Commission has been asked to look into the facility issue, but no promises have been made that it would help districts pay for new buildings. Fairfield has been awaiting its turn to qualify for state aide in the construction of its buildings.
Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5067 or lhilty@coxohio.com.
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