Senate panel OKs kindergarten bill

The extended-day kindergarten bill, one of Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s top priorities, squeaked out of the Senate Education Committee Tuesday on a 4-3 vote.

The measure that would create full-day kindergarten programs across the state as an option for families with at-risk students has been a hot topic on the Hill over the past two years.

Proponents say offering the program as an option could help level the playing field for those at-risk students who start school at a deficit. But some parental rights advocates contend preparing students for school should be left to the parents and fear the trend would eventually lead to mandatory full-day kindergarten, instead of letting young children spend that time at home.

Last session a similar measure was approved but died when lawmakers failed to pay its $7 million price tag.

Under the current bill lawmakers are asking $7.5 million and would affect 10,000 students in what leaders said is an effort to fill achievement gaps between whites and minorities, and low-income students.

"This is the first way and maybe the best way to close the achievement gap," said Patti Harrington, state superintendent of public instruction.

"The evidence in terms of optional full-day kindergarten is profound," said McKell Withers, superintendent of Salt Lake School District, which does offer the program in each of its schools. "It must be engaged and thoughtful ... but it's time well spent in helping young people learn."

Plus leaders said early intervention could lead to savings down the road in remediation and resource classes.

Holly Langton, legislative action committee appointee for the Utah PTA, said much emphasis is put on student achievement through high-stakes tests in the upper grades, but learning doesn't start there.

"Students need a proper foundation, and children who start behind cost the state money. ... We have talked about choice a lot on the Hill the last few weeks and extended day is an important, substantial and necessary choice."

But critics maintain that it is wrong for the state to spend money on what they deemed "extended day-care." They worry that it would be creating an early first grade and calling it kindergarten.

"At age 5 they want to be free and do things that children want to do," said Gayle Ruzicka, president of the Utah Eagle Forum. "I think it is wrong for the state to spend so much to step in for parents."

The bill is backed by the State Board of Education, State School Boards Association and the Utah PTA among others. But money to fund the bill was left out of the Public Education Appropriations Committee priorities. Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, said it was left off the list because leaders felt it would be taken care of in executive appropriations.

Fifteen Utah school districts, including Weber, Ogden, Salt Lake City and Box Elder, offered full-day kindergarten programs last year, mostly by stretching federal Title I dollars for low-income schools. Programs also are available to about half the nation's schoolchildren.

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