LCS board vents frustration at challenge to fund every-day kindergarten

Maple Grove Elementary School kindergarten teacher Debbie Keast on Friday worked with students Marianna Denryter and Rees Hippensteel, who was celebrating his sixth birthday.The Lapeer Schools board will likely not have the funds to move to a full-day, every-day kindergarten program. Photo by JEFF HOGAN LAPEER — Daily all-day kindergarten will get a pass, for now, in Lapeer Community Schools.

In the face of a projected $3.6 million budget deficit for the 2010-2011 academic year, Lapeer Community Schools officials say they are looking under every rock to find savings. And the money’s not there to fund the all-day kindergarten program.

Coupled with the uncertainty of not knowing what level of state funding the district will receive this year because of the state’s continued economic woes — and the probability that substantial internal cuts will be required to balance the district’s budget by next June — board members appeared hesitant Thursday evening to take on further debt.

Even if they philosophically agree with the merits of a proposed expansion of an early elementary school-level program to give district students an edge in their K-12 education.

Striving to provide the most comprehensive education to its student body, several weeks ago Supt. Debbie Thompson suggested the board consider funding all-day, every-day kindergarten in the 2010- 11 school year.

She said data suggests that children who are exposed to an all-day, every-day kindergarten program are far more apt to do better and excel in school than those who are not. And as a result, it was noted that districts that offer all-day, every-day kindergarten may be more attractive to parents that may have an option of which district they send their children to.

Despite the unanimous agreement among the Lapeer Community Schools board members on the merits of the proposed kindergarten expansion from its current all-day, alternate-day kindergarten schedule the board appeared reluctant to take on the estimated $500,000 additional cost in light of the cuts to existing programs that would be required to make it happen.

LCS and other school districts across the county and state took a $165-per-pupil cut this year because of the state’s bleak finances, and school officials are bracing for cuts up to $450-perstudent this year.

The addition of the kindergarten spending would increase the district’s projected deficit for the next school year to $4.1 million.

In order to give district parents and school administrators time to coordinate its next kindergarten registration roundup, Thompson has asked the board to make a decision on whether or not to fund the expanded kindergarten program by its next workshop session on Feb. 18.

There are approximately 380 children currently enrolled in the LCS kindergarten program.

Despite introducing the idea to the board, upon further review with school administrators Thompson said “this is not the time to add all-day, every-day kindergarten to the district.”

The board proceeded to sound off on its continued frustration on the state of school financing in Michigan that it contends has curtailed its ability to offer the kind of programming like expanded kindergarten, which it knows is effective but that it cannot afford to offer.

Board secretary John Nugent commented, “I think it’s an advantage ... Every year we don’t do it, another kid loses the opportunity. I would like to see us do it, but I would like to know how much and where we will have to cut.” He asked Thompson if she is certain the district administration has done everything possible to find savings in its operation.

Board Vice President Peggy Bush vented her disdain for the predicament school boards are left to deal with.

“I can’t be sure that next year is it. I don’t have faith that our legislators are going to do anything to deal with school financing ... This budget can’t handle this $500,000 unless there’s a change to the 85 percent of the budget we can control (personnel salary).

Bill Laidlaw, board president, expressed his support for all-day, every-day kindergarten, particularly as it relates to a marketing and selling point for the district.

“I look as it more as an opportunity than a cost. But I have to tell you it really infuriates me to see other school district buses going down our roads taking kids out of the district,” Laidlaw said.

“We have to do a better job at marketing the district, and I think all-day, every-day kindergarten would make us look better to parents who might be sending their kids to Oxford or somewhere else.”

Trustee Mike Nolan said the issue of funding the expanded kindergarten in the context of the troubled state of school financing put schools officials in the unfortunate position of having to eliminate or not fund proven curriculum-based programs.

“The literature tells us absolutely it’s the right thing to do, but we don’t have anywhere else we can cut. Are we going to cut transportation or athletics? We are going to be left with no choice, because the state refuses to address this? I don’t know how we can afford to do this.”

The LCS board, district administrators and building managers — with input from district employees — have until June 30 to adopt a new budget. Typically the state legislature hasn’t passed its budget until later in the fall after school districts are back in session, although Gov. Jennifer Granholm in her State of the State address Wednesday asked lawmakers to adopt a budget by July 1.

By passing the state budget earlier, school officials would know and can budget the level of state per-pupil funding into their annual operating budget.

“If we don’t address the Lapeer portion of the problem we will go to the front of the line with all the other school districts facing bankruptcy. We will have to take care of our own business and try to plan for what the state will do,” Thompson said.