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Tuition-Based Full-Day Kindergarten Expands Districtwide
Reno, NV (May 23, 2011) - The Washoe County School District is expanding its tuition-based full-day kindergarten, giving more students an opportunity to get into the program. Currently, there are nearly a dozen schools in the district that offer a tuition-based full-day kindergarten and even more that offer the program through state funds.
The expansion of the tuition-based program will allow more schools to offer full-day kindergarten with the start of the 2011-2012 school year. It also will establish a partnership that spans the traditional boundaries of preschool learning through the early grade levels.
A committee was formed to establish guidelines to standardize the program districtwide, according to WCSD Chief Officer of State and Federal Programs/K-16 Initiatives Kristen McNeill. "Our group included representatives from the business department, Office of School Performance and State and Federal Programs. We came up with a standardized fee to make it affordable and accessible for parents and students. It will allow more of our elementary schools to offer a full-day, high-quality kindergarten program with a licensed teacher and part-time aide," McNeill said. "One of the goals in the District's strategic plan, Envision WCSD 2015 - Investing in our Future, calls for the expansion of offering full-day kindergarten and this program allows us to do just that."
The weekly fee established by the committee for tuition-based full-day kindergarten is $65. Half-day kindergarten is available at all WCSD elementary schools and the expanded tuition-based full-day kindergarten is an option for families and students. If there is interest in tuition-based full-day kindergarten, parents are asked to check with their individual schools to see if the program will be offered. A limited number of scholarships are available for those schools that have tuition-based full-day kindergarten.
In the overall partnership of early childhood education, the expansion of tuition-based full-day kindergarten is only a part of the equation. The District's director of Child and Family Services, Joanne Everts, says staff will be working with area preschools to support school readiness for their students.
"Our early childhood education staff will offer training focused on the pre-K standards for community program staff that will provide materials for assessment and transition to kindergarten for children and their parents. Staff members who take these programs will be able to participate in training and additional support to become certified as a WCSD Preschool Academy partner."
McNeill says the District is excited about expanding its partnerships with community members and being able to provide quality professional development for pre-kindergarten teachers. "We are hoping to expand these programs in the future. It's a collaborative effort of public and private entities coming together to expand early learning opportunities for kids."
Area Superintendent and former elementary principal Lynn Rauh said, "We are excited to expand tuition-based full-day kindergarten in our district. The work of this committee is in direct response to input we've received from our families and offers flexibility as well as a quality education. The ability to offer full-day kindergarten is good for all students."
The committee will be making its presentation on tuition-based full-day kindergarten to the WCSD Board of Trustees at its meeting on Tuesday May 24. The meeting begins at 4 p.m. in the Board Room of the Administration Building at 425 East Ninth St. in Reno.
About Washoe County School District: The Washoe County School District includes the Reno/Sparks metropolitan area, Incline Village, Gerlach, Empire and Wadsworth, Nevada. The District provides each of its 63,000 students with a superior education in a safe and challenging environment and is committed to graduate every child career and college ready.
For more information visit: www.washoecountyschools.org. Follow us on Twitter at WCSDTweet.
Washoe County School District
425 East Ninth Street
Reno, NV 89520
