Educators celebrate first year of full-day kindergarten funding


Last week marked the beginning of a new era for Oregon education.

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BY JACOB PALMER | DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR

Last week marked the beginning of a new era for Oregon education.

For the first time, full-day kindergarten is funded — as a part of the $7.55 billion budget passed by the legislature — and education officials are celebrating the benefits.

School districts have always had the option to offer full-day kindergarten, and the new state budget provides funding to do so. Previously, some schools had to charge tuition to supplement their kindergarten budgets, [communications director for the Oregon Department of Oregon Crystal] Greene said, possibly giving students from affluent families an advantage while leaving others behind. The funding will go toward countless aspects of full-day kindergarten from the cost of schools having to implement such a program, additional teachers, space and materials, and more.

“(We) are in the business of educating the world’s children, and districts were working to do that even before this funding was put into place,” Greene said.

(SOURCE: Statesman Journal)

Another education official claimed the new setup would allow for better education, especially in attendance and early literacy and math.

Students are not required to attend kindergarten.

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