ROTTERDAM School district weighs adding pre-K All-day kindergarten also being looked at BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter
Mohonasen Central School District officials are considering full-day kindergarten and universal pre-kindergarten in plans for a new capital project proposal. The Board of Education agreed this week to include the changes in a plan for a new building expansion project that could go before district voters as early as December. Superintendent Kathleen Spring said the focus of the proposal will be to bring the district in step with education across the state. “As we look at today’s changing world and more rigorous state and federal standards, we need to update our programs to offer our students all of the skills they are going to need to be successful in school and the workplace,” she said in a statement. “The 21st century demands 21st century programs, and that’s exactly what we’re looking to create for our students.” Board Chairwoman Eileen French said adding a full day of kindergarten and a pre-K program would pre-empt a possible mandate that has been discussed at the state level. She said such programs also seem to better prepare the young for education. “In other districts, kindergarten has become more academically challenging,” she said. “We’re really seeing that it’s an important move in preparing students for later success.” Schalmont, the other school district in Rotterdam, offers half-day kindergarten and no pre-K program. The Duanesburg Central School District in western Schenectady County will add a full-day kindergarten program for the first time when classes resume in September. French said the decision on whether to advance with the kindergarten and pre-K changes would hinge on whether voters would support a district’s proposal to add more space. She said the cost of any expansion proposal adopted by the board would be offset by the 95 percent building incentive aid through the state. “We’re exploring what space we have in our buildings and what space we’ll need,” she said Friday. District administrators have already discussed acquiring the former Draper School, which was vacated by the International Charter School of Schenectady after it closed in June. Spring has previously said the district could apply its aid — granted when Mohonasen annexed the former Draper School District in 1986 — to purchase the $7.5 million property off Draper Avenue. Richard Ferro, a commercial sales manager with Prudential, said Mohonasen has been among the roughly half-dozen parties expressing interest in buying the property since it went on the market in May. He said all the other potential buyers have indicated that the building is too large for their needs. French deferred any discussion about the potential purchase to Spring, who couldn’t be reached for comment Friday. Discussion of a new capital project comes less than a year after voters supported a $21.8 million venture to add a new fi ne arts wing near the Farnsworth Technology Center and reroof the Draper Middle School, among other infrastructure improvements. The project was funded entirely through the district’s EXCEL and state building aid. In the new capital project proposal, district officials are also considering a new high-tech wing at the high school. Other considerations include a new library at the Draper Middle School on the Mohonasen campus off Curry Road, replacing the existing transportation facility and updating the district’s athletic fields. “We’re looking at a number of different proposals,” French said.
Good thing they're thinking about adding more projects...especially after the residents are so upset about not being able to believe how much their tax bill jumped after the re-evaluation and the school board deciding not to invoke the Homestead Act. Go for it, Mohonasen, just add to the movement of people out of the Capital Region and out of New York because they're overtaxed.
I personally don't think it's such a bad idea. In fact I think it's a positive. When it comes to spending money for true 'education' and helping kids to get a better education is not a negative for me.
I will give you an example of one concern I do have. And that is 'breakfast' for the kids in the morning. I mean, don't parents feed their kids breakfast anymore? Sorry folks but I think that is a bit ridiculous.
Oh and some schools now have extended hours, so the kids can stay longer at school. They are called special programs. So now our schools have become diners AND day care centers.
No...I have no problem paying for BETTER EDUCATION. It's the other BS I have a problem with.
“Democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.” Thomas Jefferson
I've said it before, and I'll say it again...the impact of the Homestead Act was significantly different for Mohonasen than it was for Schalmont, due to the breakdown of residential and commercial properties. While it may have provided a large savings (and this is debatable) for Schalmont residents, the impact on Mohonasen residents would have been very little. However, the impact on Mohonasen businesses would have been massive.
I am in no way putting the needs of residents before businesses, or vice versa. I think we must be mindful of all our community members, both residential and commercial. That being said, I am confident that the decision that was made was the right one. When looked at closely (and I assured you, this decision was carefully studied) it was clear what direction we needed to head in.
As far as Pre K and All Day Kindergarten, many districts are heading in this direction. I believe it's important to look into any and all programs we as a school can offer to improve the early education of our children.
First, I am all for Pre-K and all day kindergarten. Why? Because I believe it will be mandated eventually anyway. Second, I was out to dinner with some friends who know young people with kids from other school districts who don't off this. And they are thinking of moving into the Mohonasen School district because of these proposed new Pre-K and kindergarten programs.
Also, have you ever seen a child who enters kindergarten that 'hasn't' been to Pre-(K)school? They are like a fish out of water. So whether we agree or not with this system....it is, in fact, 'the system'. And if this will help to educate our children and bring them to a higher level of learning, I am all for it. Education is key for this kids!
Now it's up to the teachers to do their jobs!
“Democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.” Thomas Jefferson
If we start the kids earlier then they should be out of school earlier and off to college....or the first year of college is 'free' via tax payers.......pay attention some other countries offer college via taxpayers,,,,is this where we are going??? It will lead to the taxpayers demanding more for their $$....that said it could lead to government madated "choices"----college or military........
China'syndrome'????
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
No....everyone is starting kids earlier....that's fine but what is at the end of the beginning?? what is our goal?? where do we want to go from here?? what will we reap??......dont get me wrong I'm all for education, throughout your life whether it be formal or life lessons.....but, organized education can get tricky and there is alot of power there....
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
Schalmont residents actually voted down a full day Kindergarten a few years back. They wanted to build a brand new elementary school to house all the elementary school kids from the entire district. It got voted down, so we now still have 3 elementary schools, half day kidergarten, as per request of the residents.
ROTTERDAM Full-day K will save school jobs Board approves change starting next school year BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter
Mohonasen officials approved moving the district to a full-day kindergarten program starting this fall. Members of the Board of Education unanimously passed a resolution calling for the change during their meeting Monday. The change will allow the district to retain all of the elementary school teaching jobs that were cut in the draft 2009-10 budget. “All of the elementary positions we were worried about losing will be restored,” Superintendent Kathleen Spring said. Mohonasen joins Schenectady and Duanesburg among county districts offering full-day kindergarten. The neighboring Schalmont district in Rotterdam is also contemplating the switch, while Scotia-Glenville is phasing in their own program. Spring said the district will accommodate the five teaching positions needed for the program by using federal economic stimulus funding next year. The roughly $220,000 cost of these positions will be paid for through state aid the following year, after which time Spring said that the district anticipates losing an equivalent number of jobs through attrition. The full-day kindergarten will be based at Bradt Primary School. Spring said steady enrollment declines mean that the building will have enough space to host the 10 sections of up to 19 students each plus one developmental class for children having difficulty adjusting. “Our enrollment has kind of been dwindling over the past five years,” she said. “So at this point, we certainly have the space.” Spring said the district will also save some money through eliminating the mid-day buses. Instead, all kindergartners will ride buses with the first- and second-graders. Originally, the full-day program was part of a more ambitious plan that included pre-kindergarten and daycare elements. During initial discussions, district officials contemplated purchasing the former International Charter School of Schenectady building off of Draper Avenue. But district officials scrapped the purchase, citing the economic realities of owning such a large building. They also acknowledged hearing a number of concerns about the district’s class distribution. The board’s approval of a fullday kindergarten program comes more than two decades after it fi rst ratified the change. At the time, Spring said .............http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....amp;EntityId=Ar00703
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