Dexter Elementary School Principals Advocate for All-Day Kindergarten Classes

Changes could be coming to and elementary schools in Dexter next year if the Dexter Community Schools Board of Education approves a plan to shift the schools from a half-day to an all-day kindergarten format.

The proposal, which Principals Craig McCalla of Cornerstone and Tim Authier of Bates , will be brought before the board at its Dec. 5 meeting.

"One of the first questions we're asked is whether there is classroom space available, and the answer is yes, there is ample space that isn't going to put anyone out at both Bates and Cornerstone," McCalla told the board at its meeting on Monday.

The schools have a combined 225 students, divided into five half-day sections at Bates with three teachers and six sections at Cornerstone with four teachers. McCalla said if the district were to implement a full-day program, it would require 10 sections with roughly 22 students each and an additional 2.5 staff members at a cost of $162,500.

In addition, the district would be required by the state to shift from 55 to 100 "special classes" (physical education, library, art and media), which would cost $65,000 for a third teacher and another $20,000 in supplies.

The total proposed cost to implement the program is estimated at $247,500.

McCalla said that in an all-day kindergarten, there is more time for students to play instead of rush through the curriculum. He said the district has been looking into implementing the all-day kindergarten program since 2008, when parents responded favorably to a survey circulated throughout the district.

McCalla said that if it is approved, the all-day program should be conducted as a pilot program for two years in order to study its benefits to the students.

"When we talked to different districts, the superintendents said (all-day kindergarten) is what they would keep," he said in a previous interview.

Laurie Sarver, a kindergarten care program instructor at Bates, said she is in favor of the shift to all-day classes.

"The current programs we have at Dexter offer a high-quality, structured course of study, with teachers working hard to meet the many needs of students in their classrooms and the demands of a multifaceted state curriculum," Sarver said.

"While half-day programs provide students with exceptional opportunities, it also presents many challenges. Teachers are forced to balance their choice of instruction because of the limited time of a half day. 'Should I read a story, or should I sing a song?' There is not the time to do both," she said.

Time restraints also interfere with developing teacher schedules for intervention, special education and social work programs, Sarver said.

Under the current half-day program, kindergarten students spend three hours and seven minutes with teachers. Of that, 45 minutes is academic time. Under an all-day program, academic time would increase by more than an hour, McCalla said.

McCalla acknowledged that some parents are not interested in a program change because it means their son or daughter will be in school for too many hours.

"If the board votes to implement an all-day program, we will schedule several informational meetings with area parents," he said.

The board's next meeting will take place at 7 p.m. Dec. 5 at .