The Garden City School District is planning a review of its current kindergarten program to see if a full-day schedule would be more beneficial for students. Many concerned parents, along with their younger children, attended a meeting Wednesday, June 19 to voice their opinions.

Dr. Marylou McDermott, assistant superintendent for instruction and personnel, along with the district's six kindergarten teachers, are now evaluating the current kindergarten day. "We are taking a look at their day from the academic, social and emotional needs of the child," McDermott said. "We are examining what happens during the course of the day."

Kindergarten teachers have brought in all of their materials to be evaluated and the district is currently in contact with the BOCES program. School administration officials are also looking at other districts' kindergarten programs across Nassau County. "If this is going to be a process of quality, it's going to take time," McDermott added.

"What may happen is we may find that the program we currently have suits the needs of the children, meets the New York State learning standards and is right for Garden City," she said. "What we might find from further research and from visiting other districts is that perhaps we need to make some changes."

Dr. Stephen Leitman, superintendent of schools, reminded parents that no changes are being made for the upcoming 2002-2003 school year. When the research is complete, a public work session will enable results of that research to be presented to school board members. At that time, the board of education will have to make a decision. Dr. Leitman is expected to present a recommendation to the school board, which in turn will decide to reject or accept that recommendation.

However, if the program is approved, it will be implemented in September 2003 unless space limitations do not allow district officials to move forward with the program at that time.

The district's current program is an extended day where students stay after school on certain days and meet with the teacher in small groups. Many parents do not want the district to implement the full-day program because they feel the small group teacher instruction is most beneficial to the children and feel students will miss out on the one-on-one interaction.

"We've got the jewel and the crown right now," one parent said. "It's not quantity, its quality," another parent said.

McDermott explained the district's reasoning for the program review to concerned parents. "We are evaluating the existing program in Garden City. Obviously we are doing things very well. If you look at district statistics, Garden City is a very high achieving district, our children are happy in the program and the teachers are happy. As educators we need to look at all of our programs to be sure they are at the highest quality and fit the developmental needs and stages of each child."

She stressed that they are not going to and never will force every child to read. "We are looking to examine the needs of the child at the developmental stage where they are and take them from that point. It is not to pressure children. We will accept them for who they are, as they are, at their developmental stages."

Leitman also noted that the district currently suffers from transportation and space limitations and said construction would be performed on the district's K-1 buildings sometime in the future although he did not know exactly when that process would begin.

"The primary schools are currently at peak. So even if we find out, going forward, that this may be the ideal thing for us to do, we may not be able to do it until a demographic study shows we have a drop in population and the space to do it," he said.

"I've already sent two of my children through the existing program and I absolutely love it the way it is," another parent said. "There is so much benefit for the almost one-on-one [interaction] that the children have with the teacher in the afternoon. You get about four children to one teacher in the afternoon and I think that's just fabulous. I don't know any other school district that offers that."

One parent, a former kindergarten teacher, suggested the district try to improve the program within the hours it offers now. "Kindergarten is a step toward full-time school," she said. "Full-day kindergarten is too much too soon."

One mother shared her son's reaction to the possible change. As a former student of the current kindergarten program, he told his mother that was the best time he had had in kindergarten and that he made many friends through the small group interaction. The concerned resident stressed how important she thinks socialization is for young children. "Don't forget we now have students that successfully made it through this," she said.

While a majority of the parents at the meeting seemed to be against full-day kindergarten, some parents were more willing to wait to see what the research would reveal before forming an opinion.

"I don't know how you can take such a strong position either for or against this before the information is in," one woman said.

Another resident was in favor of the possible change. She has already put two children through the program and remembers her son's kindergarten teacher once saying that there aren't enough hours. "I really don't think it's bad for the kids," she said. "We don't hesitate to put our kids in after-school activities."

Leitman also made it clear to parents that the decision to turn to full-day kindergarten has nothing to do with receiving funding. "This is not about funding, we are not a high funded district. The amount of money we get from the state of New York is minute compared to what we spend in this district," he said. "It's not about the funding, it's about what goes on in the classroom. If we did go to a full day and got the funding, it's not going to make a difference with regard to this district. That's not what we're looking at, we're looking at it as a program review."

One parent presented administration officials with a petition signed by more than 200 parents who are adamantly against full-day kindergarten. Leitman said he'd accept the petition but that the decision to either implement or reject the full-day kindergarten program would be made with regard to research only.

As research is conducted, findings will be posted on the district's website, www.gardencity.k12.ny.us, so parents can easily access the information. Leitman said the review process will end in late fall or early winter. More forums on the topic are planned for the fall.