4K an OK for WGSD

After back-and-forth debates spanning several years, officials in the Waterford Graded School District have made a decision: 4-year-old kindergarten is coming to the district.

At their regular meeting held May 19, the School Board voted, 4-0, in favor of bringing 4K to the district for the 2015-16 school year.

A slew of concerns and questions continued to permeate the 4K discussion Monday night as district residents took to the microphone and addressed the board. Elected officials themselves shared some of the same sentiments.

For several years, Waterford Graded’s board has debated the merits of adding 4K, a program offered in about 90 percent of Wisconsin’s public schools that serve elementary-aged children.

The 4K discussion especially picked up steam within Waterford Graded this past year.

Board member Doug Schwartz abstained from voting at Monday’s meeting. He said he was uncomfortable making a decision at this point.

“I’m not against it,” Schwartz said. “I just have a few questions before I jump into it.”

School Board members Dawn Bleimehl and Tom Hoffman were the two most ardent supporters of 4K during Monday’s vote.

Although a number of logistical questions remain – including where 4K classes would be offered within the Waterford Graded community – Bleimehl and Hoffman said a “yes” vote at this point meant moving forward with the exploration process.

“We need to move beyond this discussion,” Hoffman said. “It’s been talked about and talked about for a long time.”

In the past, board member Dan Jensen adamantly opposed bringing 4K to the district. He changed his attitude slightly throughout this past year as he took more of a neutral stance.

Jensen argued Waterford Graded taxpayers indirectly pay for 4K already, since state tax dollars are funneled into the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s financial support of the program.

While Bleimehl and Hoffman said they would like to see 4K offered as soon as this fall, other board members maintained a different perspective. Jensen led the vote to hold off implementation for a year.

“I don’t think we have the time to get this up and running,” Jensen said. “Let’s work through the logistics and give people the ability to plan for the future.”

One of the greatest debates about 4K since the discussion began has been the cost of bringing the program to Waterford Graded. While the district will have to pay for start-up costs, expenses are to be recouped in later years through DPI.

“It’s a benefit to us taxpayers,” School Board President Robert Kastengren said. “Let’s do it.”

Before taking action, board members heard from five residents who offered different feedback on 4K.

Resident Matt Kranich criticized the board for stalling on a decision, but asked officials to think methodically before setting a hard and fast date on the implementation of 4K.

“I want this to happen in a quality manner,” Kranich said.

But resident Deb Schroeder questioned the merits of bringing 4K to the district.

“It’s really not a necessary program in the public school system,” Schroeder said.