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Lawmakers to consider full-day kindergarten
By Julia Silverman, Associated Press Writer
Thursday, December 20, 2007 | No comments posted.
PORTLAND — While making no promises, key lawmakers signaled Wednesday they’ll consider allowing school districts to fund full-day kindergarten programs by charging tuition at least through the end of this school year.
Last month, a Corvallis parent complained about the practice, saying it was unfair to low-income parents. On Tuesday, a legal opinion from the state Attorney General’s office backed that up, stating that districts shouldn’t charge tuition because “the extended program is the regular program.”
The Oregon Department of Education has been circulating a proposal for lawmakers to consider during the monthlong session set for February, which would allow districts to continue to fund full-day kindergarten through tuition until the end of the 2009-2010 school year.
The proposed law would also shield school districts from potential lawsuits or mass refunds for tuition charged over previous years.
“I think the school districts that have gone this route were operating in good faith, and they believed they could do this,” said state Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, whose local school district is among those charging for full-day kindergarten. “They should not be penalized in any way.”
Allowing districts to continue charging tuition, even just through the end of the year, is trickier. Some lawmakers have qualms about setting a precedent that requires payment for any form of public education, or don’t want to sign off on an extension of the tuition if legal questions surround the practice.
On the other hand, said Senate Majority Leader Richard Devlin, D-Tualatin, lawmakers don’t want working families accustomed to sending their five-year-olds off to school for an entire day to be forced to find another option in the middle of the school year.
“We need to create a window that gives the legislature until next biennium to be able to fully fund full-day kindergarten,” said House Majority Leader Dave Hunt, D-Milwaukie. “I support that, but there are some who don’t.”
School districts, meanwhile, said Wednesday that they were consulting with their own lawyers, some of whom have already opined that it is legal to charge tuition for extra kindergarten hours.
“We are not panicked,” said Jill Case, curriculum director for the Junction City school district. “We are going to make a careful and legal determination. Then we will have to look at next year and see what is possible.”
According to the Oregon Department of Education, about 40,000 children enter kindergarten in Oregon each month; only about 27 percent of them are in full-day kindergarten. Not all pay tuition; some districts use federal money to cover the cost of providing all-day kindergarten, or pay for it with state dollars. And sometimes, scholarships are available for parents who can’t swing the tuition cost.
Districts that do charge tuition for full-day kindergarten in at least some of their elementary schools include Portland, Tigard-Tualatin, West Linn-Wilsonville, Sisters, Philomath, Astoria, Salem-Keizer and Milton-Freewater.
About 60 percent of children nationally attend full-day kindergarten. Oregon has reimbursed districts only for the cost of educating kindergartners for a half-day.
Legislators are likely to discuss plans for funding of full-day kindergarten in the 2009 session, Devlin said.
Last month, a Corvallis parent complained about the practice, saying it was unfair to low-income parents. On Tuesday, a legal opinion from the state Attorney General’s office backed that up, stating that districts shouldn’t charge tuition because “the extended program is the regular program.”
The Oregon Department of Education has been circulating a proposal for lawmakers to consider during the monthlong session set for February, which would allow districts to continue to fund full-day kindergarten through tuition until the end of the 2009-2010 school year.
The proposed law would also shield school districts from potential lawsuits or mass refunds for tuition charged over previous years.
“I think the school districts that have gone this route were operating in good faith, and they believed they could do this,” said state Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, whose local school district is among those charging for full-day kindergarten. “They should not be penalized in any way.”
Allowing districts to continue charging tuition, even just through the end of the year, is trickier. Some lawmakers have qualms about setting a precedent that requires payment for any form of public education, or don’t want to sign off on an extension of the tuition if legal questions surround the practice.
On the other hand, said Senate Majority Leader Richard Devlin, D-Tualatin, lawmakers don’t want working families accustomed to sending their five-year-olds off to school for an entire day to be forced to find another option in the middle of the school year.
“We need to create a window that gives the legislature until next biennium to be able to fully fund full-day kindergarten,” said House Majority Leader Dave Hunt, D-Milwaukie. “I support that, but there are some who don’t.”
School districts, meanwhile, said Wednesday that they were consulting with their own lawyers, some of whom have already opined that it is legal to charge tuition for extra kindergarten hours.
“We are not panicked,” said Jill Case, curriculum director for the Junction City school district. “We are going to make a careful and legal determination. Then we will have to look at next year and see what is possible.”
According to the Oregon Department of Education, about 40,000 children enter kindergarten in Oregon each month; only about 27 percent of them are in full-day kindergarten. Not all pay tuition; some districts use federal money to cover the cost of providing all-day kindergarten, or pay for it with state dollars. And sometimes, scholarships are available for parents who can’t swing the tuition cost.
Districts that do charge tuition for full-day kindergarten in at least some of their elementary schools include Portland, Tigard-Tualatin, West Linn-Wilsonville, Sisters, Philomath, Astoria, Salem-Keizer and Milton-Freewater.
About 60 percent of children nationally attend full-day kindergarten. Oregon has reimbursed districts only for the cost of educating kindergartners for a half-day.
Legislators are likely to discuss plans for funding of full-day kindergarten in the 2009 session, Devlin said.
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