http://www.dailygazette.com

Quoted Text

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.

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!

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'????

No one is starting kids earlier?  Many (if not most) children attend Pre K programs.

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....

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.