Board approves full-day K starting in ‘19-’20

Members cite educational, social gains while voicing concerns about costs

LANSDALE » Full-day kindergarten in the North Penn School District will become a reality next year.

The district’s school board voted 8-1 Sept. 21 to direct staff to start a program of full day kindergarten in all 13 North Penn elementary schools for the 2019-’20 school year.

“This is a landmark moment. We are about to provide highquality, full-day kindergarten programs to all of our students across the district,” said board member Christian Fusco.

“We’re going to foster and strengthen students’ social and emotional development. We’re going to provide consistency for these children,” he said.

Full-day kindergarten has been a topic of lengthy discussion since early 2017, when members of the public and school board members began asking for facts and figures on how the district could transition from the current halfday to a full-day program, and what benefits students would receive from doing so. Talks have been ongoing through the board’s education, community and policy committee for the past year, and staff presented in detail on the

costs, classroom space issues, and educational benefits to students during the board’s Sept. 4 meeting.

Board member Terry Prykowski cast the only vote on Sept. 4 against having staff prepare a motion authorizing full-day kindergarten, and was again the only vote against authorizing it on Sept. 20.

“The reason is not that I don’t think the children would benefit by it. I think they would. I think the parents would benefit by it,” she said.

“Financially, I also think that the seniors in the community will be hurt by it, and a lot of the local kindergarten providers that we have in the community, it’s coming down too fast for them,” she said.

Staff have estimated an annual impact of roughly $3.2 million starting in 2019 to cover the costs of roughly 27 new teachers and additional aides and assistance, with roughly $800,000 more needed for one-time startup costs like curriculum materials, furniture, and classroom upgrades. Prykowski said she was

wary of adding that extra annual expense to a financial picture that includes a $10 million borrowing, also approved Sept. 20, for renovations to Knapp Elementary School and an anticipated $120 million or more in work to renovate North Penn High School.

“That $10 million, plus the next $125 million, or whatever, to get the high school (renovated) — we definitely need both of them, Knapp and the high school,” she said.

“We want full-day kindergarten. We need the high school and Knapp renovations,” Prykowski said.

Board member Jonathan Kassa said the annual expense for full-day kindergarten only equaled roughly 2 percent of the district’s $260 million annual budget, but would help North Penn catch up with neighboring districts and meet state educational standards that are growing ever higher.

“If we want the highest quality education in the 21st century for our students, we have to deliver it. Currently, the state requirements are a full day of kindergarten. We jam that into half a day,” Kassa said.

“This is like balancing our checkbook: if we don’t

get it right at the beginning, it’s only going to continue to create a bigger difference in the end,” he said.

Finance committee chairman Ed Diasio said he saw the vote to approve as only the first in a twostep process, with finding the funding next.

“The next piece of this is to try to make sure we pay for it in a cost-effective way, and a responsible way, so that we don’t have our fund balance, which we’ve worked so hard to build and maintain, disappear,” Diasio said.

“We’ll be having conversations about how to pay for it, because those challenges are real. But i think we need to keep in mind what our number one job is: we can’t shy away from that role, just because of cost,” he said.

Member Elisha Gee encouraged residents to attend meetings of the ECP committee, which vetted and recommended the full day kindergarten program and will get updates as implementation moves ahead. Member Juliane Ramic said she wished it had been in place for her children, and joked the packed board meeting Thursday night was “a very good night for babysitters in our district.”

Fusco, who is chairman

of the ECP committee, said he thought it would ensure all students have a level playing field by experiencing the same district curriculum in their first year, instead of varying levels of half- or full-day learning in public or private settings.

“Education is the greatest equalizer in society, but it’s not just a benefit for those with the greatest needs,” he said.

“Every child in North Penn is going to have an opportunity to strengthen their academic, social and emotional skills, even those that come to us the most prepared. A full-day program is going to benefit them, in addition to those who need it most,” Fusco said.

Several residents spoke out on the debate too, including resident Bill Patchell, who reiterated his frequently voiced concerns that higher local taxes and changes to the state and federal tax structure would drive residents out of the district —and could do the same to the board.

“What brought you in as a collective group will provide your exit. And when the tide goes out, the people will be glad that they are done with you,” he said.

Resident Rebecca Armstrong

of Hatfield Borough said she had one daughter attend half-day kindergarten in the district, and asked if the board would consider revising its homework policy with the extra classroom hours added for kindergarten. Armstrong also said she was was glad to have been able to watch public board meetings online to hear all sides of the discussion, and board and staff members answer questions.

“You really did address all of our questions and concerns, and I’m surprised, but happy, to support the motion at this point,” she siad.

Danielle Millirons-Fenick of Upper Gwynedd said she supported the idea, but was worried about the amount of work staff now need to do in order to meet the target of the 2019-’20 school year.

“I’m in favor of full-day kindergarten. I just don’t want the test year to go badly for these kids, because it does seem like a lot to figure out in less than a year,” she said.

Former board member Suzan Leonard, who began the push for full day kindergarten during her time on the board, thanked administrators and staff for the work they put into their presentations so far.

“I understand that it’s scary, and going to cost a lot of money, and a lot of work needs to be done, and those are all issues when you take on new challenges. But I have faith that this board will find the money, and find a way, and do the right thing,” she said.

As of Friday afternoon, district staff had posted a dedicated page about fullday kindergarten on the district website, listing frequently answered questions and videos and presentation documents from the past several months. According to the district, students must be 5 years old or older on or before Sept. 1, 2019 to enter kindergarten for 2019-2020, and a new online registration system will be online in January 2019 to schedule registration appointments. Kindergarten registration dates will be Feb. 25, 26 and 27, and March 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 26, 27 and 28 of 2019, according to the district.

The North Penn School Board next meets at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 9 at the district Educational Services Center, 401 E. Hancock St. For more information visit www.NPenn.org or follow @NPSD on Twitter.