Rockford, Forest Hills moving to all-day kindergarten | Education

ROCKFORD, Mich. (WZZM) - Rockford and Forest Hills public schools will begin full-day kindergarten in the 2012-2013 school year.

On Tuesday, Dr. Michael Shibler, Rockford's superintendent, recommended to the school board that the district move to all-day kindergarten. Dan Behm, Forest Hills superintendent, says his district also made the decision to switch on Tuesday.

Shibler sent a letter to the kindergarten parents Tuesday morning.  Shibler referenced recent state legislation that requires districts to provide all-day, every day kindergarten in order to receive full state funding.

Shibler recommends that the district implement all-day kindergarten starting in the fall of 2012.  Shible had advocated that all-day kindergarten not be mandated until school funding had improved. 

Previously, Shibler has noted that all-day kindergarten will cost the district $1.8 million, but the funding cut would be $2.4 million if they do not offer it.

Behm says not offering full-day kindergarten would have cost his district $3 million in state funding.  Offering it will cost about $2.7 million, he says, but Behm says district leaders are waiting for the legislature to determine how they will account for the cost.  The superintendent says it's possible the district could receive more funding from the state and see its obligation to the Michigan school employees retirement system reduced by pending legislation.