All-Day Kindergarten Likely Will Start in September
• Unexpected Retirements Make Needed Funds Available
Jun 25, 2010 – After telling parents and the community that fiscal restraints had forced the Board of Education to cancel plans to launch the community's first all-day kindergarten program in September, just the reverse is about to happen.
School Board President Ken Reilly told NJHometown tonight (6/25) that an analysis of funds, made available by unexpected retirements of veteran teachers this past week, will enable the all-day kindergart sessions to begin when schools reopen in September.
"We haven't crossed every 't' nor dotted every 'i' but it appears that we can be fiscally responsible with our limited funds and still make the all-day kindergartgen program happen by September," Reilly said.
He urged intererested parents to attend the regular Board of Education meeting that's scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday (6/28) at the Walker Middle School. The first hour of that meeting will deal with other subjects including mandated reports on curriculum changes, but thereafter Reilly expects the all-day kindergarten proposal to be debated and finalized.
Reilly said he wasn't sure whether all day-kindergarten classes would be available at all five elementary schools in Nutley.
"There may not be sufficient space in every school for the program," he said, but that's something we'll be considering at Monday night's meeting."
