Round Meadow wants longer kindergarten hours, but lack of funding is a drawback

Local school officials agree that extending the school day for kindergarten students is beneficial, but lack of funding for a district-wide program in the Las Virgenes Unified School District poses a dilemma for Round Meadow Elementary School in Calabasas. The school wants to launch a longer school day program next year.

At a recent school board meeting, Round Meadow Principal Rose Dunn, along with teachers and other administrators, presented a proposal requesting that the kindergarten school day be extended by one hour and 45 minutes, including a 45-minute lunch period. Currently, kindergarten students are in school for three hours and 15 minutes.

Buoyed by the success of Sumac Elementary School’s twoyear pilot program in Agoura Hills, Round Meadow officials said they have the necessary classroom space, as well as support from teachers, site council and Parent Faculty Club, to launch longer kindergarten hours. But they said they lack funding.

The cost to extend kindergarten at the school would be about $12,000, according to Ann Eklund, district director of early education. Three instructional assistants would cost $9,000, and it’s estimated an additional $3,000 would be needed for additional recess and lunch time supervision.

Sumac used Title I funds, a state financial assistance program that helps public schools with a high percentages of poor children, to pay for instructional aids, Eklund said. Round Meadow doesn’t qualify for this state aid.

“The biggest implication is in funding,” Eklund said.

Currently, two credentialed teachers share a classroom and all materials. There is an overlap of instruction between the teachers for at least one hour per day, she said, adding, “That model will go away.”

Another issue is equity among schools. Many parents, said Eklund, choose to send their children to private kindergarten because of the longer school day. Extending kindergarten hours might bring private school children back to the school, which would ultimately boost enrollment and funding.

However, if the program is not implemented district-wide, other schools might suffer a loss of enrollment if parents enroll their children at Round Meadow rather than their neighborhood public school.

As an example, Eklund said some families may opt to enroll their child at Round Meadow rather than Lupin Hill Elementary because of the longer day. Lupin Hill would therefore lose students and money.

“Don’t make a decision in a vacuum,” District Superintendent Sandra Smyser told board members.

She said if the board approved the funding now, the district might be placed in a difficult situation later on when other budget items came under review.

Dunn said there’s urgency in getting the proposal approved because February is the time that parents begin to enroll their children in private schools for the following school year.

Board member Pat Schulz said approval of the program was a good risk, since money would be recouped if just three students attended the school on an out-of-district permit.

“We support it and will look at the budget as a whole,” said Board President Cindy Iser. The board, she said, will have all of the budget information within two months.

The board unanimously approved that the school proceed with its plans of extending the kindergarten day, but without funding.