MUSD reinstates free all-day kindergarten

The Maricopa Unified School District governing board unanimously approved Wednesday reinstating free all-day kindergarten for the 2014-15 school year.

This year the district is charging tuition to parents who enroll their child in the full-day kindergarten. Half day is paid by the state, but the additional half day comes with a tuition fee.

In the 2014-15 academic year, MUSD will be able to use $235,000 in Move On When Reading funds to pay for all or most of the costs of offering free full-day kindergarten, according to district report.

“In 2014-15, we are able to spend the $235,000 we receive from the state for Move on When Reading to pay for additional (kindergarten) teachers,” Superintendent Steve Chestnut said earlier this week. “In 2013-14, we were not able to do this since our district grade was ‘C.’ Now that our district grade is ‘B,’ we have more flexibility to spend these funds.”

The tuition rate is $145 a month for nine months for a total of $1,305, the superintendent said.

At the board meeting, board president Torri Anderson questioned whether funding free all-day kindergarten might have some budget consequences that would lead to the enlarging of class sizes in the higher grades.

Chestnut said the larger proposed class size of 29 would be fully covered by the Move on When Reading funding. He suggested the board not make a decision on the class size at this time.

An average class size of 26 would cost an additional $50,000 (for one additional teacher), and an average class size of 24 would cost an additional $150,000 (for three additional teachers), he said.

If the Move on When Reading funds do not cover the entire cost of the kindergarten program next year, the shortfall will be paid out of the maintenance and operations part of the budget, he added.

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