EXPLORATION OF FULL DAY KINDERGARTEN October 23, 2014 Why explore full-day know? DRIVING FACTORS: • Space in the Elementary School • NYS funds available • Curriculum Demands-ELA and Math accountability in Kindergarten • Half day does not provide time for Kindergarten and first grade teachers to drill deep into the curriculum • 4-5 weeks spent on transitioning into the first grade Comments from School Based organizations • Half-day is beneficial in transitioning young children into school. • Parents with more than one child around Kindergarten age prefer the half day program. • Parents would prefer smaller class sizes in third and fourth grades. • Long term financial health of the district is a priority. • Most parents who move into Mt. Sinai know we have a half-day K program. • Most Mt. Sinai students have had 2 years of pre-K experience. • We should explore the current half-day program to see where we can add more curriculum based activities. Benefits of full day k * Provides more time to differentiate instruction. Progress in learning and social skills. Reading groups can be formed. Teacher has time to work with developmentally challenged and advanced students. • Students receive more instruction which allows for increased learning activities and strategies such as group read-aloud, peer tutoring, mixed-ability grouping, and child-initiated activities. • Students spend more time on reading and literacy instruction and more time on mathematics. Time to review material in ELA and Math that was learned in the morning. • Students exhibit more independent learning, classroom involvement, productivity in work with peers and reflectiveness. • Allows for a more consistent schedule for students and reduces the ratio of transition time to class time, reducing stress for students. • Parents report higher levels of satisfaction with their students schedule and curriculum. Students demonstrate more positive behavior than peers in half day. Current program Master Schedule 9:00‐9:25 9:25‐10:10 10:13‐10:58 11:01‐11:46 11:49‐12:34 Classroom Schedule of Planned Activities ELA Mathematics 8:55‐Morning routine (Pledge, attendance, mini‐math lesson, fluency activities, 9:15‐ Language Arts (Wilson Foundations letters and sounds) 9:30‐ Lang. Arts (Wilson Foundations Whole Group, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) 9:50‐ Language Arts independent class work 10:00‐ Mathematics 10:13‐ Mathematics 10:35‐ Social Studies or Science 10:50‐ Snack 11:05‐ Dismissal 10 min. 10 min. 45 min. 10 min. Science/Social Studies 35 min. 15 min. 55 min. 15 (alt. days) Teacher Prep and Lunch followed by afternoon session. 12:37‐1:22 1:25‐2:10 2:13‐2:58 Total 55 Proposed full day program Master Schedule 9:00‐9:25 9:25‐10:10 Classroom Schedule of Planned Activities Morning routine including Lang. Arts and Mathematics Language Arts ELA 10 min. Math Science/Social Studies 10 min. 35 min. Snack 10:13‐10:58 Mathematics 11:01‐11:46 11:49‐12:34 Developmental Activities and Reading Groups Lunch and recess 12:37‐1:22 Social Studies or Science 1:25‐2:10 Special Area: Music, Art, PE 2:13‐2:58 Language Arts/Mathematics Total 40 min. 15 min 45 min 20 min. 20 min. 80 min 70 min. 45 (alt. days) PROJECTED DISTRICT ENROLLMENT FUTURE FINANCES • Districts struggling with the so-called 2% cap, that does not always yield 2% revenue. • Districts are permitted to maintain only a 4% fund balance. • Most State aid was frozen in 2009-10 and total State aid to schools was cut in 2010-11 and 2011-12. Despite the aid increases enacted in the last two State budgets, over 70% of school districts are still receiving less than in 2008-09, five years in the past. Mount Sinai is still 2 million short due to the Gap Elimination Adjustment. ESTIMATED COST OF FULL DAY K Area Number of Students (current 125) Sections (current 3) 2015/16 Cost 125 6 2016/17 Cost 2017/18 Cost 2018/19 Cost ESTIMATED COSTS Staffing Costs Kindergarten teachers Academic Intervention Art Music PE/Health Aides 1 in each class Clerical Other Costs ELA printing units Mathematics Science ESP BOCES kits Social Studies Developmental Materials Professional Developmental Miscellaneous TOTAL ESTIMATED COSTS 243,000 24,300 24,300 24,300 56,700 66,240 29,000 16,500 15,300 5,860 4,885 19,000 15,000 25,000 569,385 580,773 592,388 604,236 (459,125) 110,260 0 580,773 0 592,388 0 604,236 PROJECTED REVENUE Kindergarten Conversion State Aid PROJECTED NET COST PER YEAR ESTIMATED TAX RATE AND FUND BALANCE 2013/14 Operating Budget 55,482,305 2014/15 2015/16 54,955,155 Full Day K Total Budget-Expenditures 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 55,759,520 56,993,300 58,183,300 58,892,141 570,000 581,000 593,000 605,000 55,482,305 56,955,155 56,329,520 57,574,300 58,776,300 59,497,141 14,900,000 15,395,000 15,495,000 15,595,000 15,695,000 15,795,000 REVENUES State Aid Addl State Aid Full Day K Other Revenue 460,000 527,150 200,000 200,000 200,000 200,000 200,000 2,282,348 3,587,348 1,797,608 2,788,093 3,266,234 3,253,234 Tax Levy 37,772,807 37,772,807 38,377,172 38,991,207 39,615,066 40,248,907 Budget-Revenues 55,482,305 56,955,155 56,329,780 57,574,300 58,776,300 59,497,141 2,536,962 1,300,000 500,000 400,000 400,000 187,665 100,000 100,000 100,000 100,000 8,517,016 5,289,295 5,096,687 3,313,594 1,277,360 (1,382,348) (1,482,348) (1,802,093) (1,943,234) (1,943,234) (110,260) (581,000) (593,000) (605,000) Total Appropriations FUND BALANCE Estimated Unspent Budget Estimated Addl Revenue Prior yr Carryover Unapprop Amount Approp Addl Amt Approp due to full day k Approp for Capital Project (2,000,000) - Fund ERS Reserve/EBLAR Reserve (2,570,000) - - - - Surplus 5,289,295 5,096,687 3,313,594 1,277,360 (770,874) 9.6% 9.1% 5.8% 2.2% -1.3% Fund Balance % Questions • Is it the right time to add a new program? • When State funding ends how do we support and sustain the program? Do we cut existing programs and clubs? Which ones? How do we decide? • Is the money better spent for High School programs that would provide our students with increased college and career readiness, like AP classes in European History, Accounting or Psychology? Do we cut classes that build our students’ resumes for college and career? Do we cut clubs and activities that engage our students during after school hours? Questions ?