The Star Ledger published the following article on May 13, 2013. To read the full article, click here.

Task force may look at full-day kindergarten in all districts

By Jeanette Rundquist/The Star-Ledger 
on May 13, 2013 at 8:11 PM, updated May 14, 2013 at 8:14 AM

TRENTON — A proposal to explore the idea of bringing full-day kindergarten to schools statewide advanced in a state Assembly committee Monday.

While most of New Jersey’s elementary school districts offer full-day kindergarten, at least 114 districts still offer half-day only, according to the state Department of Education. The Assembly Education Committee approved a bill that would create a task force to explore full-day options.

“It doesn’t make sense that we still have half-day kindergarten in some districts. It’s archaic,” said Assemblywoman Connie Wagner, (D-Bergen/Passaic), co-sponsor of the bill.

She said the 17-member task force would do a “comprehensive review” of existing research governing kindergarten, as well as staffing needs, facility space — and the cost of implementing full-day kindergarten, plus possible funding sources.

The bill, co-sponsored by Assembly members Mila Jasey (D-Essex/Morris) and Tim Eustace (D-Bergen/Passaic), will now advance to the full Assembly for a vote.

The sponsors said studies show children benefit from full-day kindergarten and increasing half-day programs to full-day, would save working parents thousands of dollars in after-care costs.

“(Kindergarteners) are so smart today, they need to be in school all day,” commented Assemblywoman Betty Lou DeCroce, (R-Morris). “Electronically, their minds are way above some of us.”

While most school districts used to offer half-day kindergarten only, that changed in the 1980s and 90s. In 2011-12, 77 percent of public kindergarten children (and 74 percent of private school children) in the U.S. attended full-day kindergarten, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University. New Jersey falls slightly below that; In the Garden State, 73 percent of public kindergarten children attended full-day in 2011-12.

Institute director W. Steven Barnett said full-day kindergarten can “significantly improve children’s achievement, if properly implemented “ and helps parents manage their work schedules.

New Jersey does not currently mandate that children attend kindergarten, and Barnett said that about 5 percent of children don’t go. When full-day kindergarten is not available, he said some kids don’t attend kindergarten at all.

But while some educators say increasing half-day programs to full-day would be enriching, many simply don’t have the space. “If it were to be mandated by the state, it would be appropriate for the state to fund that mandate,” said Westfield Superintendent Margaret Dolan.

Edison Superintendent Richard O’Malley called the task force bill “election year politics.”
He said his district had full-day kindergarten — but eliminated in in 2010, when Gov. Chris Christie cut $1 billion from the state’s schools. Now the district’s enrollment has grown, and the town no longer has the classroom space, he said.

“If there were no boundaries and I had plenty of space and money, it’s a no-brainer,” he said. “We just don’t have the functional space.”

The task force would be required to issue a report within a year of formation.