The Chelsea Standard
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Comments to be sought on proposal
Public hearings to be held for all-day kindergarten plan
By Erin Ryder, Special Writer
PUBLISHED: January 19, 2006
The Chelsea Board of Education is arranging for several public input sessions to determine the community response to a proposal to switch to full-day kindergarten classes.
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A committee researching early education options to maximize both social and academic development has proposed full-day, everyday kindergarten after a year of research, including visits to area school districts using the model.
The board currently has two issues to consider, whether the full-day option is the best choice for Chelsea students and, if so, how to implement the program, said Superintendent Dave Killips.
"The big question is: Is a full-time program appropriate for our schools and community?" Killips said.
Should public opinion favor the full-day option, school administrators hope to have it in effect by fall 2007. To make the change happen in that time period, board action would be needed in February.
Public input sessions will be held 7 p.m. Feb. 2 and 7at the Washington Street Education Center.
The board has planned for several work sessions, in addition to regular meetings, to process the feedback gathered at the public forums.
"Hopefully, these will keep us on task to get the information we need to make a decision quickly," Killips said.
One of the issues surrounding the proposed switch is the possible re-arrangement of buildings that would be needed to house several new teachers to handle the full-day classes. Several options have been discussed, including building an addition to Pierce Lake Elementary and moving the second grade, currently housed at North Creek Elementary School to Pierce Lake, so that kindergarten could expand within the North Creek setting.
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