The Manchester Enterprise
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
District to offer new kindergarten option
$160,000 price tag will be funded through operational budget
By Daniel Lai, Editor
PUBLISHED: March 20, 2008
At its regular board meeting Monday, the Manchester Community Schools Board of Education unanimously approved a plan authorizing the development and implementation of a full-time instructional program for kindergarten students beginning with the 2008-09 school year.
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Superintendent Shawn Lewis-Lakin said moving the district from a half-time to a full-time kindergarten program could result in up to $160,000 in new expenses for the district, which is already operating under a $200,000 budget deficit for the current school year.
"Expanding a program and adding expenses, when we already have a deficit, is not an easy decision to make," Lewis-Lakin said. "However, we are moving to offer full-time kindergarten based on an understanding that it will be good for children, good for families, and, in the long-term, good for our district. Having full-time kindergarten strengthens our position as the school of choice for families who want educational excellence in a caring community."
Lewis-Lakin said funding for the new program will be looked at as the district prepares its budget for the coming year.
"With a commitment to provide families a full-time kindergarten program, we now add this expense to the budget planning process," he said. "Budget planning always involves careful consideration of all expenses and revenues, in an attempt to be responsible with the resources entrusted to us by the community and state for the education of our children."
The board directed that, during the kindergarten registration process, parents and guardians of prospective kindergarten students should be provided an avenue to also indicate interest in other options including half-day or focused programs for "young five" students.
"Dependent upon the number of persons who indicate interest in such options, efforts will be made to meet the needs as indicated on the registration forms," Lewis-Lakin said. "We are eager and excited to talk with Manchester Community School District families, and other families who choose to use us as their school of choice, about how we can meet the needs of their kindergarten children."
In other business:
l Lewis-Lakin presented the board with preliminary budget projections for the 2008-09 academic year.†† Several suggestions to help reduce operational costs in the district included examining budget efficiencies such as reductions in the district's central office and other non-instructional expenses.
"These are areas for further study. We want to be sure we are being good stewards of the resources entrusted to us," he said. "We need to be as efficient and as careful with our resources as we can be and work to maintain student instruction as our top financial priority."
The board is required to approve a budget for the 2008-09 school year before June 30.
l Board trustee Monty Okey was recognized for receiving the Award of Merit from the Michigan School Board Association. Board members also approved a contract to provide Transportation Services Director Jeff Knasiak's assistance to Father Gabriel Richard High School in Ann Arbor.
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