- The pool referendum (as expected)
- Discussion about creating a "4 year old Kindergarten Task Force"
Note that the agenda item does NOT mean that they will be discussing a task force on kindergarten which has been in operation for 4 years. Rather, this will be the district's foray into developing ANOTHER money pit: kindergarten for 4-year olds (think pre-school on steroids...or maybe preschool in Pull-Ups). Remember that scene in Jurassic Park 2 when Jeff Goldblum's character, noting the group was so awe-stricken by the sight of dinosaurs, said, "Oh, yeah. Oooh, ahhh....that's how it always starts. Then later there's running and screaming." Similarly, everything school board starts with a nice Task Force. Then comes the referendum and we have to empty our wallets.
District Administration and the board (in its various incarnations) have been quietly planning on a 4-yr kindergarten program for a number of years. Let see: 7th elementary school? Check. $100M for a new high school and 8-9 quasi junior high school? Check. Pool? Firmly on the radar; referendum imminent. That must mean its time to focus on the next item on the district wish list: a 4-yr kindergarten (4yrKG) program.
Frankly, SP-EYE sees the potential value in a 4yrKG program, particularly for socioeconomically affected kids. That being said, it always comes down to money....and decisions about what a community needs rather than what a district WANTS.
You'll hear the words, "amazing"and "wonderful" to describe the many benefits that 4yrKG programs POTENTIALLY offer kids. School board members will practice their speeches about what an incredible opportunity this is for kids.
But, you should also know that many people refer to 4yrKG programs as taxpayer funded daycare. And isn't the goal of 4yrKG what HeadStart is all about? And don't we have that already? Many other people feel that kids have enough of school to look forward to: 13 years from KG through high school. Add another 4 years for college, which many feel jobs of the future will absolutely require. That's 17 years. Do we REALLY need to add an 18th? Is there some benefit to letting a kid be a kid for a few years? And how many 4 year olds are really socially mature enough for a school environment? Yet state rules don't provide an option for which kids are or are not ready for 4yrKG. If you're 4 on or before September 1, you're in.
The "experts" talk about the potential for 4yrKG to improve learning. Sure. And a rock poised on the edge of a cliff is loaded wth potential energy....but it has to actually be set in motion for that energy to be realized. We have a SAGE program here at 2 schools already, and the WKCE scores don't indicate significant improvement from it. In fact, eliminating the SAGE program at Bird elementary would have opened up the spaces to accommodate that handful of kids from the Bristol neighborhood. You want to improve connectedness? Then focus your energies on keeping siblings and neighborhoods together rather than making boneheaded decisions that ultimately that don't meet the original goals of the Boundary Task Force yet create gaping wounds and polarize a community.
Ladies & Gentlemen, place your wallets on the table and step back.
What does all this cost?
In 2006, districts reported setting aside between $4,000 to $10,000 per room for purchasing classroom materials and equipment. Elmbrook is considering 4yrKG, and recently estimated costs for the 2011-'12 school year would mean a tax levy of 22 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation, or an additional $44 a year for the owner of a $200,000 house.
That's double the amount of coffee drinks Chris Mertes says the pool referendum will cost you in his latest editorial. You know? You CAN drink too much coffee.
Read more about 4yrKG:
Tomah Journal article, December 2007
Wisconsin DPI 4yrKG page
Does Wisconsin's 4K program positively impact children's development? Yes. Wisconsin does not have data to correlate student performance on statewide tests with past 4K participation. We can, however, explore the impact by reviewing data from the National SWEEP study and from several Wisconsin school districts.
DPI Factsheet
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