Tekoa, Rosalia receive kindergarten funding

Rosalia and Tekoa kindergarten students are joining the ranks of older students as they begin going to full-day kindergarten.

The state legislature recently approved funding for full day kindergarten to 269 additional schools starting this fall.

The schools will follow the “WaKIDS” program, Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills, as part of the funding agreement. This program provides a snapshot of where the state’s kindergartners are in their development early in the school year.

The state-funded full-day kindergarten is part of the state’s constitutionally protected definition of “basic education.”

By school year 2017-18, voluntary full-day kindergarten is to be fully implemented throughout the state. Schools with the highest rates of poverty are to be funded first, and once a school receives funding, the school is eligible in future school years, regardless of changes in the school’s percentage of students for free and reduced-price lunch.

Determination of eligibility for state-funded full-day kindergarten is based on an individual school’s poverty percentage from the prior school year in October.

Rosalia Principal Darrel Kuhn said Rosalia has been conducting full day kindergarten for the past two years, but the new state program will reduce the cost to the local district.

“It’s an easy transition for us,” Kuhn said.

He said that the local kindergarten schedule had full days with Mondays and Fridays optional. Some parents initially kept their children out of kindergarten those two days, but the students after a few weeks demanded to come to school and they joined full time.

“It’s because of our dynamic teacher,” he said.

Kindergarten teacher Amber Marsh has been teaching with the district for 15 years.

The Rosalia kindergarten class has 12 registered students, but Kuhn thinks a couple more may register the first day of class. He said that the average class size for the elementary school is 14.

First day of class is Sept. 6, with kickoff conferences for parents and students before that.

“I know the parents will be pleased because our students receive a lot of one-on-one attention,” Kuhn said.

Tekoa Superintendent Connie Kliewer said it’s quite a change for that district.

“We were half day and now we’ll be full day,” she said. “It’s a big deal for our kids and parents. We’re very excited.”

Kindergarten teacher Bobette Rambo, with the district since 1992, also is gearing up for the full days.

Eight students registered for kindergarten this year and will begin Sept. 3 after attending an open house Wednesday.

Kliewer said that kindergarten will be in the same classroom as before and will be an easy transition.

“We’re gearing up,” she said. “We’re excited to have them.”