Discontent over state-required kindergarten is spreading through the southern tier with a second town signaling that it may not comply with a law that requires school districts to offer public kindergarten this fall.
Last week, Salem's budget committee stripped about $1.6 million from the school budget, money that had been included to provide half-day kindergarten to 300 children this September. Committee members also urged the district to join Hudson in a lawsuit that claims requiring kindergarten is unconstitutional.
Those working to bring kindergarten to Salem are undeterred. Superintendent Michael Delahanty said the school board and the budget committee have differing opinions. Board members will meet in the coming weeks to consider options for the deliberative session this month, but Delahanty says kindergarten is a priority.
"The board has remained steadfast in its belief that one, the provision of the law would likely prevent us from prevailing (in a lawsuit), and two, and probably more importantly, it's the right thing to do," he said. "While the rest of the country is talking about publicly funded programs for 3- and 4-year-olds, we're talking about 5-year-olds."
Since 1989, New Hampshire has been the only state that doesn't offer public kindergarten to every child. Parents aren't required to send their children to school until they are 6, but lawmakers have long encouraged districts to open kindergartens by offering grants for construction and other start-up costs.
Nearly two years ago, the Legislature included half-day kindergarten in its definition of an adequate education, something lawmakers were ordered to prepare under the terms of the most recent lawsuit over how New Hampshire pays for public schools.
One by one, the holdout towns, about a dozen in all, complied with the new law, until only Hudson remained. Some residents in other towns have fussed about the requirement and lauded Hudson for filing suit, but Salem is the only community that has taken a formal vote.
Other southern-tier school districts are having an easier time. Pelham plans to open a self-contained kindergarten in portable classrooms this fall, although the school district won't provide transportation. In Windham, school board Chairwoman Barbara Coish says the school's kindergarten plans are generally well accepted.
"Fortunately, we do not have a budget committee here," she said. "We have not heard any rumbles about anyone who wants to stop us from going where we're going."
Nothing is certain until the votes are cast in March, but school district leaders say they'll have little choice to comply with the law, even if their budgets undergo deep cuts.
"This is one of the mandated programs that it is going to be included in the default budget. . . . If someone decides to take money out, it really isn't going to do any good," said Roxanne Wilson, the assistant superintendent of schools in Pelham. "There's a constitutional reason why some people are totally against this and I understand that. But I also understand that there's a law in place."
Delahanty said the Salem School Board will likely have three options at its deliberative session: accept the smaller budget and delay kindergarten, ask voters to restore the money; or accept the smaller budget and fund kindergarten by cutting other programs.
The board would have to find about $700,000 in other areas. The rest of the start-up money, about $900,000, would come from the state in the form of construction grants.
The state expects every town to comply with the kindergarten requirement this year, except for Hudson, which is exempt while its lawsuit is pending. The Department of Education has yet to say how, or if, a town would be punished for not complying, but Ed Murdough, who oversees school approval for the state, said budget reductions aren't an excuse to sidestep the law. (next page »)
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Comments
TO : "I just don't get it!"
By Anonymous - 01/15/2009 - 10:50 ama five year old IS far too young to be in school. If YOU want kindergarten, then fine - YOU pay for it, but LEAVE MY kids alone.
Just because "All over the rest of the US"is doing it, doesn't mean we have to. I bet you were one of the teens who argued "But, Ma....ALL the OTHER kids are doing/going/getting it!"
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I just don't get it!
By Anonymous - 01/15/2009 - 2:17 amI have read all the posts & I just don't get it!! Why does there have to be a fight about this?? All over the rest of the US Kindegarten is provided, some 1/2 day some full day. A 5 year old is NOT to early to "leave their mother". Also they have made this a law & they have told each town they will give them a grant to help fund the start up costs for adding kindergarten as well. So it wasn't just said to us hay u gotta do it. We would have been given a grant to help fund it. But because the older voters & the voters that won't have a child in K voted against it yet AGAIN, Hudson chose not to add it. I know it'll cost money so what, everything costs money, if you want to home school your child thats awesome your child won't be forced to go to school as you'll be home schooling your child. I work full time so does my husband, I work at nigt & my husband works during the day, I get to be active in their schools, I'm home w/ them on vacations & during the summer but yes I do miss them when they are at school. Right now I pay over $500 a month to send my son to K because he needs it. He was starving for it when he saw my older daughter going to school & doing things so I spend the $ for him to go. I personally don't think it's fair NOT to offer K. For instance there is another child near us that is a year older than my son & she doesn't get to go to K because they can't afford it, thats unfair to that child, & the other children who DO go to K. You know why? My son will be reading by the end of the school year but she won't so when they ALL get to 1st grade & some are reading & some aren't who suffers? Not me, Not you, the children do! The teachers will have to spend a lot more time helping the ones who can't read so they cn catch up! And I'm sure they'll be using our tax dollars by hopefully getting them into a reading program. ALL OUR CHILDREN no matter if they are from a family that has 1 parent, both parents, a stay at home mom or dad, or 2 working parents, they should all be given the same educational oppertunities! I know our schools already don't have the room so why not use the library space?? We'll soon have a new "privately funded" library which is leaving an empty building which the town just doesn't know what to do with. Instead of boarding it up & using it on special occasions why not use it for a Kindergarten for the whole town? I don't care if they are bussed or have to be driven by a parent. I just think it's a great space for K which we will have to provide eventually. This lawsuit won't last forever!!
All I ask is we just let all of our kids have the same educational chances! It's not a competition, this is their lives! Hopefully the start of great ones!
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I will 'splain it all for ya
By Anonymous - 01/14/2009 - 10:55 pmJust for your information, before Claremont, before 'adequacy' lawsuits and before mandatory kindergarten, NH has always been at least #3 in education, but that is slipping because now we are buying into terrible programs like IB and Goals 2000 and it is just watered down fuzzy academics with a political agenda. The educrats and politicians even admit that school is so they can take away the poisoned attitudes their parents instill in them.. How do you like THEM apples???
You as parents are dirt...the state must give your kids their values so they will be good little socialist world government subjects.
I know this for a fact.. I am a teacher, 40 years.
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Woo hoo!
By Anonymous - 01/14/2009 - 1:02 pmAnd rightly so... the government has NO RIGHT to mandate any sort of education to be paid for by the voters... NONE.
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another viewpoint
By Anonymous - 01/14/2009 - 11:41 amI honestly believe that it is up to each parent to decide what is best for their children. If they decide to send their children to kindergarten, that is their decision. Most kindergartens are only a couple of hours a day, which is considered a morning or afternoon class, usually running about 2 or 21/2 hours. How this is considered anything but good for a child is beyond me. Its not long enough to consider it daycare as some have posted. And the state chould be aiding towns in educating our children. Education should be made available to each and every single child in this state. That is what all those lottery ticket sales over the years were supposed to be funding. Funny how there is an education crisis in this state but yet the capitol building gets a new gold leaf paint job whenever it needs it. Priorities much?
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I know many
By Anonymous - 01/14/2009 - 8:59 amparents who work who rely on public kindergarten as "free childcare" for half of the day. Many of those are pushing for full day kindergarten b/c it "will save them $$" - and they all also say that they are "thrilled" to be home with him at the end of the day.
That's fine. I believe them. However, once public kindergarten is established, it's a short hop skip jump to compulsory attendance. I do not think kindergarten should be compulsory, and that would affect my children.
All these issues are linked - you can't take just one away.
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to "MOM"
By Anonymous - 01/13/2009 - 10:32 pmI have seen just as many kids that have moms at their beck and call 24 hours a day end up just spoiled and obnoxious (if not more so) as those kids whose both parents want a career. My mother worked terrible hours but I grew up respecting my adults...oh, yea, I went to kindergarten on my grandparent's dollar. What the heck does whether your parents work have to do with education?
Where does NH rank against other states for education?
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Sending our kids away??? We're getting off topic
By Anonymous - 01/13/2009 - 8:09 pmNot really sure where some of you are coming from. I am a Mom who works full time and my husband is a stay at home Dad. I'm thrilled to have him home to provide primary care for our 2 kids. He is there when our middle schooler gets off the bus at 2:45pm and to take our little on to kindergarten in the mid day. I'm not sure about your school district, but my daughter is at school for 2 and 1/2 hours. I hardly consider this sending her away and forcing her into the world. She loves the social interaction, enjoys the few activities they do in school and is getting used to following instructions from someone other than her parents and grandparents.
So, while I completely support a parent's choice to homeschool and respect the right to an opinion that says we are sending our kids away too young I just can't say they are choices or opinions I share. My kids are beautiful, well adjusted, well behaved and happy. They are home far more than they are not. The basic issue here is that ALL CHILDREN deserve the opportunity for an equal education. Standards and expectations across this country say that this begins with Kindergarten and its shameful that NH has been so behind. For those who choose to homeschool you still can... for those who think your kids aren't ready work with the school to figure out what's best...
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Love my kids too much
By Anonymous - 01/13/2009 - 3:22 pmI love my kids too much to send them away to be raised by someone else. There is no way I am going to leave the educating of them up to someone else either. I quit teaching to have a family. I will teach them at home until the education system gets better. That includes K. Most programs I looked at with my first child were glorified daycares. No thanks!
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Tax dollars
By Anonymous - 01/13/2009 - 3:19 pmEducation needs to be reformed in this state. Why should my tax dollars go towards the education of other children. My wife home schools my children because our schools are horrible. Can we go to the voucher system and have schools meet a mark and not just get by. I am not talking about all schools. Because the towns with money have good schools...because they have money! I would rather send my kids to another public school that is a better school then to our public school. Can't I take my tax dollars with me to another school. If you opt for K then you should pay for K. If my kids are past K why should I be billed for it?? Public school is great if they are doing the job. Until then my kids are learning at home.
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MOM
By Anonymous - 01/13/2009 - 3:12 pmI am a stay at home mom who also home schools. Sad to say I can pick out kids who were raised in a childcare center whenever we are at the pool in the summers. My kids are well behaved and raised at home. They are not raised by a minimum waged worker who has 12 credits in ECE. One of the reasons I home school is the kids who attend public schools are all pretty much the same. Undisciplined children who spend too much time away from home.
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Ok
By Anonymous - 01/13/2009 - 2:34 pmHow about a real comment?
I think that the public should be better informed. From what I know, and I am not a lawyer, it is unfunded mandate, as are most of them.
Personally, I think if the state makes us do something we should be getting the money from them, simple point, but in truth, concord spends $16million of the budget on unfunded mandates, my taxes could be reduced a bunch with that.
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To : By Anonymous on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 13:15
By Anonymous - 01/13/2009 - 1:43 pmI'm a SAHM, and hardly pampered. That's a misconception and an untruth.
I also homeschool my children - if working parents want kindergarten, then they can have it. Just do not make MY children attend. That's the crux of the problem right there.
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Hey MEG HECKMAN
By Anonymous - 01/13/2009 - 1:17 pmYou have it wrong! Pelham will be getting portable classrooms, but the kindergarteners cannot attend school in those, so it will be some of the older kids that have to shuffle outdoors to their new classrooms, and then shuffle back in for lunch/gym/art/music etc. Poor little kids! I think a wonderful solution would be a Public Pelham/Windham Co-Op kindergarten!!
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How this turned into a Stay
By Anonymous - 01/13/2009 - 1:15 pmHow this turned into a Stay at Home vs. Working mom argument makes no sense to me. Why are all the pampered SAHM's so worried about all the Working moms, they aren't your kids- Get over it! Everytime this argument comes up all I read from it is jealousy from each side!
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Disagree
By Anonymous - 01/13/2009 - 12:49 pmI agree with your idea that children need to interact. I am blessed by the fact that I am a stay at home mom. My husband makes 43,000 a year and we own a home. We manage so please don't think we are rich. We decided early on that I would be home with my children. I can understand how you may think they would be afraid of the outside world. I know some who are. My children are well adjusted balanced happy children. My daughters first day at school was her first day at school. She is now very active in sports, has sleep overs and is a leader in her class. She is now in Middle School. My other child is very much the same. My husband and I did not have cable when the children were little. A treat was getting a Barney video from the library. We spent time reading and going to the park, the Currier Gallery, library, shopping, out to lunch and play groups. I respect your opinion but will always be a fan of moms staying home with their children. In a perfect world....but I know it is not perfect and people need to live in reality.
The comment I made by the car and the TV is a woman who lives on my street. Her and her husband put their needs in front of their children. One child wanted to play football but was told it was too expensive. This was just before the dad went out and bought a very high end electronic device. They can't take their child to dance class because mom has to get her nails done. Some people are just selfish. I know this is not always the case. I guess I was more venting than pointing a finger. Please accept my apology for that.
I just wish we lived in a perfect world where families were in tact and children were allowed to grow and develop in a way that is best for them.
Please don't get me wrong. Education is VERY important. As a former teacher I know early childhood education is most important. Many important milestones happen in K. I just hope in our quest to educate we don't lose sight of the little faces that this impacts. Thank you for your time.
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Are you kidding me?
By Anonymous - 01/13/2009 - 12:36 pmThese two prior comments just leave me sitting here in disbelief. 'Such a hurry' truly believes parents both work today for that "new car, wide screen TV, vacation to the Bahamas?" Wow, how nice that would be. My husband and I work in order to put food on the table and roof over our 3 children's heads. That's the reality today. It takes two incomes and lots of times, that isn't enough to cover basic needs.
But, on the other hand, since when do stay at home kids become afraid of other people and withdrawn? If a parent is fortunate enough to be able to stay at home with their child, truth is, they're rarely home! The park, library story time, and playgroups all provide wonderful opportunities for children to socialize with others and help parent's socialize as well.
After reading those comments, I felt as if I'd stepped back in time........
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What does having a new car,
By Anonymous - 01/13/2009 - 11:01 amWhat does having a new car, wide screen TV, vacation to the Bahamas have to do with a child being taught to interact with others and get some social skills instead of sitting in front of the TV or around a table with adult conversations going on and soap operas, and not being paid attention to at all? There is nothing wrong with a baby going into daycare. Kids who stay at home are afraid of other people and withdrawn, rarely go to sleepovers and want to interact with others. Kids need to be with other people.
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Such a hurry
By Anonymous - 01/13/2009 - 10:23 amWhy are we in such a hurry to get our children to grow up? When did an education become a race? What happen to the days when going to Kindergarten or First Grade was the first time a child stepped in a school. Now babies go to daycare weeks after birth. In our hurry to get it society we have pushed our children aside. Really do you need that new car, wide screen TV, vacation to the Bahamas? How much better would our children be if they were able to stay at home and be under the care of a mother then off to Kindergarten when they were ready.
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