4K for Wisconsin

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It's Full Speed Ahead for 4K

Friday, March 3, 2006 8:32:26 AM Central Time
By Jason Busch
The Times Plus; Monroe Times

MONROE -- Next fall, students throughout the School District of Monroe will shoulder their bookbags once again and make the trek back to the hallowed halls of their schools.

School District of Monroe teacher Molly Roenneburg reads to students in the 4-year-old kindergarten program Wednesday at Rainbow Childcare in Monroe. As Roenneburg read, the kids were asked to pick out words that rhyme.

Joining them for the first time will be many 4-year-olds, coming into the district at the same time Monroe schools move to full implementation -- approved by the Monroe School Board Jan. 23 -- of the district's 4-year-old kindergarten program, or 4K.

"The registration deadline for 4K is 4 p.m. March 10," Northside Elementary Principal Cory Hirsbrunner said, "but if people register after that we have to take them since the program is in full implementation now and no longer a pilot program."

Hirsbrunner said the district already has received some registration forms, but the sooner people register the better chance they'll have of receiving their first school choice. Children who turn four on or before Sept. 1 can be voluntarily entered into the program. Students enrolled in 4K go to school Monday through Thursday for a half day. Friday allows 4K teachers to collaborate on curriculum and visit families.

In a Jan. 2 letter to the school board, Hirsbrunner recommended the board approve full implementation of the 4K program beginning with the 2006-07 school year. "We fully understand that there will be some anxiety regarding this recommendation, but considering the immediate as well as long-term advantages to full implementation of 4K within the district, it will be a smart investment with a high educational rate of return," she said.

Presented to the school board Jan. 9, the 4K proposal detailed some interesting statistics, such as between the ages of 3 and 5:

* A child's brain grows 75 to 90 percent of its adult size.

* There is a great acceleration in language development. Children of this age learn an average of 50 new words per week and go from speaking in two- or three-word sentences to more complex ones.

* Eighty-five percent of a child's intellect, personality and social skills are formed by age 5.

* Research indicates that at age 4, children from low-income families have 800-word vocabularies, while their peers from literacy-affluent homes boast vocabularies which exceed 10,000 words.

Even more indicative of the impact of 4K were the results of a survey given to parents of 4K children, kindergarten teachers in the district and private community childcare facilities.

Ninety-one percent of parents with one or more children enrolled in 4K since it was implemented as a pilot program during the second semester of the 2004-05 school year responded positively when asked questions about their satisfaction with the program; 9 percent responded neutrally and none had an overall negative response.

Among current kindergarten teachers, 86 percent entered positive responses while 14 percent responded negatively. The most division occurred among the private community child care facilities which saw a 57 percent positive response, 14 percent neutral response and 29 percent negative response.

Hirsbrunner said the 4K program is similar to other preschool programs but it also provides curriculum consistency and every teacher has to be certified by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) in early learning.

Four-year-old kindergarten classes also are kept small, Hirsbrunner said, with a ratio of 15 students for every two adults. Each 4K class has one DPI-certified teacher and one instructional aide.

Hirsbrunner and district Business Director Mike McArdle also presented a five-year budget forecast for the 4K program Jan. 9, noting while more than $100,000 was lost on 4K during 2004-05 when only 61 students participated, the program looked to make up much of that ground during the 2005-06 school year with about 81 participants.

In the years between the 2006-07 and 2009-10 school years, they projected continued growth of 4K to about 125 students per year and revenue eventually totaling more than $400,000 each year, making the 4K program a large source of revenue for the district.

McArdle said the figures are based on having at least 125 students enrolled in 4K and only are estimates. Hirsbrunner said 125 students represents about 78 percent of the 160 kindergartners who enter district schools each year.

"Next year we'll be making about $175,000," Hirsbrunner explained, "if we get 125 kids. This year there was still a loss but what's not included in that is the implementation grant we received from the state which helped pay for supplies and other materials."

Hirsbrunner said some of the sites where 4K is being held next school year -- Abraham Lincoln Elementary, Ding-a-Dong Preschool, Headstart, Monroe Preschool, Rainbow Childcare, St. Victor School, and the Green County Family YMCA -- are charging fees to cover the costs of expanded services.

Monroe Preschool will charge a $25 monthly fee to cover wrap-around care, meaning the students will go to the preschool for their half day of instruction in the morning but can stay for the afternoon to participate in additional activities.

The YMCA charges a $40 monthly fee because one school year of swimming and gymnastics instruction are provided. St. Victor will charge $85, while Rainbow Childcare will grant top priority to children enrolled at the regular fee full-time. Abe Lincoln, Ding-a-Dong and Headstart will not have monthly fees.

Hirsbrunner said there aren't plans to have any 4K classes at either Northside or Parkside Elementary schools. Northside, she said, doesn't have the room right now with three sections at each grade level; however, there's potential a 4K class could be added at Parkside, although it hasn't really been discussed.

"Really, we just want to collaborate with all the area preschools," Hirsbrunner said. "We don't to put anybody out of business. It's win-win for everybody if we do it this way and we can build networks with the schools, preschools and child care providers we have out there."