By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
Among the benefits of making 4-year-old kindergarten available for the Burlington Area School District touted by district officials are better social skills to better test scores and learning opportunities.
Balancing out that optimism, though, is something that BASD has struggled with for the last several years: the cost.
As the initial presentation on what is commonly referred to as 4K was made Monday night at the curriculum committee of the School Board, the board split along the lines as it has for much of the last two years – with the majority of the board excited about the opportunity, but two members of the board resistant to the cost.
As estimated by BASD Business Manager Ruth Schenning, the initial startup cost for the district would be a little more than $400,000.
That number includes one-time start-up fees, but will likely go higher as student enrollment increases.
With Burlington having no previous 4-year-old kindergarten students, the district will not receive any state aid for the first year it begins the program – which in Monday night’s proposal, would be 2014-15.
As a result, the district would bear the full brunt of the cost, with the corresponding state aid.
That reality was not palatable to board member Roger Koldeway, who questioned the district’s continued use of its fund balance in the budget since he arrived on the School Board, and also what he felt was the district’s aversion to dealing with looming debt issues.
When Koldeway started referring to that debt and to state aid formulas, though, fellow Board Member Larry Anderson spoke up.
“You don’t even know what you’re talking about,” Anderson said. “You don’t understand the state aid formula.”
Koldeway plowed forward, saying, “I was speaking.”
“Our finances cannot afford this at this time,” Koldeway said. He also said the district was spending money to get money through state aid.
That was too much of a risk for him for what he said were questionable returns.
“We don’t have the data to show … if this is really going to give us the improvement,” he said.
Koldeway and Phil Ketterhagen both argued that there are no studies that point to any rise in student achievement scores. In fact, Ketterhagen said he had one study that showed student achievement – by grade three – appeared about the same with or without 4K.
Ketterhagen also said that he had reviewed Head Start numbers – which deals with students who are economically disadvantaged – which confirmed that “fade out.”
Board Member Rosanne Hahn said that 4K was not Head Start, and Ketterhagen agreed, but maintained that the gains haven’t been proven, and that for every positive study he could find a negative one.
Board Member David Thompson then asked, “Do you know of any studies that show this effect on students who are not economically disadvantaged?” He also wanted to know of arguments against 4K – to which BASD Assistant Superintendent Connie Zinnen said it was hard to come up with arguments against it.
In the data Zinnen had shown early, most of the surrounding districts – including six of the seven other districts in the Southern Lakes Conference – had 4K.
Of those six, five had higher student achievement measured by an incoming kindergarten testing program called PALS (Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening). The only district that was lower was Delavan-Darien.
“The research we found was all positive,” Zinnen said.
Koldeway argued the district’s task force – which included teachers, principals, community members and staff from the area preschools and day care providers – had looked at Department of Public Instruction data, which is in favor of 4K.
“How can we make a reasonable decision if all the data is pointing the same direction?” Koldeway said. He also said that the day cares have provided excellent services so far, and suggested expanding their curriculum.
Since the district is looking at a model that would combine a school-based program with the area community centers, there was also a question of faith-based education conflicting with public school education.
No faith instruction can take place during 4K work, so the various pre-schools that are faith-based are considering not participating, admitted Zinnen.
That would limit the options on where students could go in the community for the 4K program.
While a number of questions were asked – and Zinnen was careful to point out at the beginning of the meeting that, at this point, it is discussion only – when conversation shifted to audience members, it became clear that enthusiasm existed for the program.
Resident Jessica Lahner came prepared with a pamphlet that cited numerous advantages – including studies that show that for every dollar invested in the 4K program, $0.68 will be returned because of savings in special education, fewer students repeating grades, less spent on student support and less teacher turnover.
“All of that means a child uses less money,” Lahner explained. In addition, teachers won’t have to work as hard to catch up students who are behind or have other issues.
Down the line, Lahner said, studies show lower incarceration, lower crime and higher income and employment for 4K participants.
Bonnie Ketterhagen, Phil’s wife, stood up and said that she wanted to compare the curriculum, and – in response to another in the audience – said that students don’t lose a year of brain elasticity because they are learning.
She also said there are choices out there for parents, and starting a 4K program would impact those choices, which include Montessori and community day care and pre-schools.
The arguments against that came from Lahner, whose 8-year-old twins attended Montessori pre-school. The costs for that, another parent said, could approach $600 a month.
“I know a lot of my peers can’t afford that,” Lahner explained. Those who can’t afford it, don’t pay it.
“This (4K) doesn’t restrict parent choice,” she said. “This increases parent choice.”
It would also level playing field for those who can’t afford private preschool. Brenda Stratton, another parent in the audience, said that trying to compare data on Head Start to 4K wasn’t valid, because the Head Start national studies include students in some of the most financially challenged areas in the country.
Stratton, who has worked as a Head Start nutrition manager, said most of those families are “worried about food on the table.”
“It’s just not comparable,” she said.
One final benefit to starting a 4K in Burlington could be the stemming of loss of students to open enrollment. Superintendent Peter Smet said at the meeting he had fielded between 5-10 calls from prospective parents who were looking at moving to southeast Wisconsin and wanted a 4K program for those students.
With the surrounding areas offering a 4K program – in fact, more than 90 percent of Wisconsin does offer 4K – that puts Burlington at a disadvantage in attracting new students.
Express you opinion regarding 4K for BASD in the poll on the right side of this page.
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Surprise surprise someone named Lahner wants to waste taxpayer money in Burlington.
I would support this if there was school choice. Otherwise they’re just stealing even more money from people to pay for more public schools and trying to shut the private ones down.
If you want to help your child have solid values and high expectations – keep them away from the public schools as long as you can!!
No, asinine idea!
“Down the line, Lahner said, studies show lower incarceration, lower crime and higher income and employment for 4K participants.”
Seriously? So, these studies are trying to say that what you learn when you are FOUR YEARS OLD will impact your entire life?? Doubtful. I’d like to see proof of these “studies”. 4K hasn’t even been around long enough for these studies to be possible, if we consider that the student in the “study” (a former 4K student) is now an adult at age 18!! My kids are in HS and one recently graduated…there was not a 4K program in the surrounding area when they were 4.
Actually what children learn in the early years has the biggest impact on their life by far. As a local child care teacher this is one of the first thing we learn in child development classes. The early years are the most important for the rest of the child’s life. I’m not sure how I feel about 4k but I do know that it is an important time for learning.
And what about the impact of 4 year olds awakened every night and suffering from sleep deprivation for months because of train horns blaring? I wish this snooty Lahner couple would take they’re self serving money wasting values back where they came from. Homeschool!!
I really sympathize with your frustration. I had a little one woken up several times this summer too. I have to work so I cant homeschool but I hope there is still a private alternative to the public schools for preschool. Dont let them push you around. With you!
Let’s start with $400,000. That is big time money. Is it worth it for our kids? From what I am reading, there is no definitive answers, and it doesn’t seem the other surrounding districts can provide it either. To me, it is like adding to the government. And I am not that comfortable with the increased influence public education has on a large majority of our children. These are formative years for children, and truthfully, I don’t trust public education with more influence in those early formative years.
I encourage you to walk into a k-4 school and see what is going on. Everyday schools are teaching children reading, writing, math, social skills, and more. If you want to look at the negative influences on children, possibly take a look at the family first, not the schools. Please Mr. Miller, volunteer at a school, attend a parent teacher conference as an aide or a teacher and then report back on whether your concern is more with the schools or with the backgrounds some of these students enter school with.
Thank you to the Burlington Standard Press for covering an important issue facing our School Board. I appreciate the informative article. However, I am dismayed by the choice of some to use this comment section to criticize me through my wife. I don’t mind being criticized from time to time. As a public official it comes with the territory. I do have to admit that in today’s age of electronic communication it seems that it easier and easier for folks to hide behind computer screens and/or fake names and take silly pot shots at me and others in similar public positions. Respectfully, I would ask members of the public refrain from using my wife as a way to criticize me. She was simply going to a meeting to advocate for something she believes in. She doesn’t deserve this sort of treatment. Perhaps people forget that we are just people, who are trying to do our best to participate in this community along with everyone else. We go to church, coach sports teams, participate in service clubs, and volunteer for things we believe in, just like most of the good people in Burlington. And while it may not seem like it when you type out a pithy comment from your computer, words do have an impact, especially on someone like my wife Jessica, who has chosen a role away from the public eye. So, if you have a need to publicly criticize me, please do so all you want, but please leave my wife out of it.
Hey Kev,
The only silly pot shot is that ridiculous 133k/yr FIVE year contract you blackmailed out of the city. Losing a maternity hospital; train horns ruining the summer, sleep, and businesses; $400k in lost sewer revenue; trying to force a racetrack in residents backyards; huge property tax increases; and on and on. Great work.
Now your wife wants to jack up property taxes even more and ruin private preschools in Burlington. And you’re spending your “work” days typing away on internet boards because on $133k + huge bennies you two can’t handle being criticized. Boo-hoo.
Is it too late to trade this guy to Elk River for a Viking cap?
I wouldn’t mind seeing some funding for this idea if others have it and it does some good. It gets expensive and maybe middle class kids like my grandchildren could take advantage.
I’d have to say to the comment above though by Kevin Lahner everybody has their right to an opinion. Why should your family get to have one and not others? I support free speech. I’d like to learn more about this from all sides. I’m a big Harry Truman fan – if you cant take the heat don’t show up in the kitchen.
I believe it’s the name calling, not the opinion, that Lahner takes exception to. His wife has nothing to do with the city’s train horns. And calling someone snooty, self-serving and money wasting isn’t nice, regardless of whether the statement is accurate or not (its not). Lahner as a city official has to take it, but should his wife have to answer for her husband’s profession just for standing up to make an unrelated statement at a school board meeting? You are right, Joe, that you need to take the heat when you are employed in public service. And no one ever said the internet is nice. But a little civil, reasoned debate without name calling would be refreshing. Truman was a statesman, after all, not a troll like the previous poster who drops nasty stinkbombs on others while hiding behind a screen name (oops, there goes that lack of civility thing again).
I know the Lahners to be VERY educated people. They wouldn’t be saying these things if they didn’t know what they were talking about.
Maybe if you listened you could educate your kids and yourself ALOT better than you are now.
Here we go again! Public education is bad and everyone is wasting “your” money. The complaints get old when you don’t have all the facts. I want to thank the school board for looking into it. I am for a better education system and 4K may or may not help, but it sure doesn’t hurt to look into. The issue for many here does not appear to be education at all, but rather the money.
Let me get this straight. We have apparently some kind of government employee surfing the internet in the middle of the day trying to police what people say? Good Lord. smh
Probably with Jerry Springer on and a fist full of Cheetos. “nobody talks to my woman like that!” Unreal.
I personally believe that the private sector is taking care of the needs for preschool (that is what this is) just fine. I just received my increased property tax bill this year. A $400k increase isn’t needed right now. Didn’t Waterford just reject 4k,too?
All these people we elect Mayor, Alderman, School Board need to be replaced this spring. They all lie to us about how conservative they are – then they hand out all these big contracts to their buddy administrators and contractors. Fire ’em all. If you’ve got any kind of a brain and are honest – please run — run these jokers outta office. I’m behind ya.
Isn’t it enough to just state your opinion? Name calling and bullying are completely unacceptable. I expected better from Burlington Residents. I support public 4K.
The most important component to a Community is it’s School System. The first thing that people ask when considering moving into a community is its level of quality of the school system. Business & industry also evaluate the school system. Burlington residents should think about this proposal very carefully, and refuse to be led astray by the radical far right individuals that represent the Koch Brothers. The Koch brothers want to end public education. 4 year olds have a passion for learning, and they should be in a 4k program. I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas.
The Koch Brothers? And you call concerned, broke tax payers the radicals?
I love when the Koch brothers come up in conversation. The old fall back. Kind of like Haliburton or Bush and his oil buddies. It is very entertaining for me to hear that.
And now the city council approved a 10% raise on our water and sewer rates. I’m sick of it, too. We need these RINOs out. And not more spending for unnecessary programs that are already supported by the private sector.