All-day kindergarten expands

"In the past (seven years) we funded it out of our hide. ... Our class size has been artificially high because we've provided so much to full-day kindergarten," Ogden District elementary education director Reed Spencer said. His district will use the money to maintain, but not expand, its 28 programs next fall.

While labor is the greatest cost, teachers will need training to create more in-depth lessons, Spencer said. Averett says Granite District plans to hire a coach.

Some schools also may have to shuffle to find space. Morgan District crowding will delay programs there a year, state curriculum director Brett Moulding said.

But meeting demand might be the greatest challenge for some. Murray District plans to offer programs at three schools, with about 25 students each, assistant superintendent Steve Hirase said. Already, it has as many as 50 parents applying at a single school.

"We think there's a lot of demand for it, a lot of requests," Provo student services director Greg Hudnall said. "We think they're really going to help our students ... who need additional support."

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Contributing: Tiffany Erickson

E-mail: jtcook@desnews.com