By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
For more than two hours Monday night, a large crowd listened to facts, support, opposition and opinions regarding a 4-year-old kindergarten program in Burlington.
And while the Burlington Area School District Curriculum Committee passed by a 2-1 margin a recommendation to adopt a 4K program, the impact of that program may take time to figure out – if it earns the approval of the School Board next week.
With Curriculum Committee members Rosanne Hahn and Jim Bousman voting ‘yes,’ and Phil Ketterhagen voting ‘no,’ the recommendation was sent to the full board for Monday night’s general board meeting agenda.
But while a number of members of the board seemed to be in support of the project – with two members vocally questioning the feasibility of the program – that was before public comments began.
Among concerns raised in that comment period was the impact a 4K program would have on private preschools in the Burlington area, and also whether 4 is too young to start stringent education.
However, there were also a number of supporters of the program in the crowd.
The facts
Before any opinions had a chance to be voiced, BASD Assistant Superintendent Connie Zinnen made the second of two informational presentations (the first being a month ago).
Zinnen presented the basics of 4K – information on which districts had the program, and how it impacted the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) scores.
In general, while Burlington’s kindergarten students improved in the number of them reaching the fall benchmark (84 percent) to the number reaching the spring benchmark (90 percent), Zinnen said other districts either improve more or started higher to begin with.
“Students who came in higher, exited higher,” she said. “I don’t want to say that 4K will automatically improve our scores. But if we try nothing, we will not see greater results.”
But in looking around southeastern Wisconsin, most area districts do have a 4K program. Those districts support the statewide trend, where 93 percent of districts have a 4K program.
Area districts such as Bristol, Delavan-Darien, Dover, Elkhorn, Lake Geneva, Salem and Wheatland all have 4K. Noticeably, Union Grove and Waterford do not.
The district would have to spend between $402,000 and $412,000 to start the 4K program, depending on which model they chose to use for classrooms. The recommended version at Monday’s meeting was a hybrid between district staff and classrooms and the currently existing private schools.
BASD would receive no additional state aid for 2014-15, but would – if enrollment estimates pan out – receive about $800,000 starting in 2015-16. The number would go up from there if enrollment increased as predicted.
The district would receive an increase in its revenue limit starting in 2014-15, however – about $241,000 if the expected 117 students enroll.
The opposition
However, while district officials are optimistic BASD could draw in that many students – based on estimates of how many students have not already enrolled in 4K through private or parochial programs – others felt those numbers were inflated.
One parents doubted the district could get that many more students into a 4K program, saying she had kept her students at home and wouldn’t have enrolled them in preschool even if it had been free.
“I’d rather have them home with me,” said the mother.
Sue Dorn, representing Noah’s Ark preschool at Cross Lutheran Church, teaches the 4K program and said a public school 4K program would likely put Noah’s Ark out of business.
“Will we go out of business? Probably,” said Dorn, who also made the point that anyone wanting to enroll in Noah’s Ark and financially unable to do so could seek tuition assistance from the church, and that the 4K programs have aligned with district curriculum whenever they have been asked.
Joan Birkholz, who helped set up the St. Mary’s preschool program, said that vigorous education in the 4K level wasn’t as important as other lessons taught.
“It is so important for them that they be able to play, to socialize,” Birkholz said. She also disputed the district’s decision not to integrate parochial 4K preschool programs because of a contention that those students tended to go to parochial grade schools.
Birkholz said about 50 percent of the students in the St. Charles and St. Mary’s programs went on to public schools.
School Board members Roger Koldeway and Phil Ketterhagen also raised concerns, ones that varied from spending money in hopes of getting more state aid to whether or not 4K could provide the anticipated result.
It was that last question that both Ketterhagen and Koldeway stressed.
“Our school system is awesome. Our system is taking preschool kids and moving them up,” Ketterhagen said. “We don’t need a 4K. We all want one.
“If we are going to sell this program on student achievement, student achievement has not been proven.”
Koldeway asked for an assurance that test scores would improve. BASD Superintendent Peter Smet said, “It would be my hope.”
“It’s tough to guarantee when you’re dealing with humans,” Smet added, to which Koldeway responded, “So a hope and a goal is all we get.”
Both also raised questions about whether the end goal – all students being college or career ready – would be best served by using a 4K method.
“Is it the most cost-effective thing you can do to improve scores coming out of high school?” said Koldeway, who also felt that if the program is targeting underprivileged children, many would be non-English speaking – and that community volunteers might be better suited to assist with those programs.
The support
For all of the questions and concerns raised, though, many remained optimistic about the idea of 4K.
“We don’t have a guarantee,” said School Board President David Thompson of improved test scores. But he added that a lack of a guarantee wasn’t a good reason not to move forward.
“I think I want to attract people to come into the school district,” he said.
Bousman said the district had to look beyond its own improvements.
“The reason that 93 percent of the schools have gone to 4K … it’s not because they (wanted 4K),” he said. “The think is there clearly.”
And when Ketterhagen complained that not teaching to Common Core standards was causing a problem with the test scores, board member Rosanne Hahn pointed out that the Common Core “is a floor, not a ceiling.” She added that the 4K program is also designed to reach students who otherwise may not have access to preschool.
Those in the audience agreed. Kimberly Payne, the new head of United Way’s Advancing Family Assets, came and applauded the work done on the proposal.
4K programs, she said, had proven benefits down the road as students gain not only academically, but socially.
And Brenda Stratton, who has children in the BASD system, said early childhood education gives everyone a chance on even footing.
“I want the best for my kids,” she said. “Everybody does.”
Former BASD Assistant Superintendent Patricia Hoffman – who is now on staff in the education department at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside – added, “I’m very excited about this opportunity for Burlington. I think it is the right move to make.”
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