In Ellington, Referendum Math Adds Up To All-Day Kindergarten

ELLINGTON, CT - Ellington will have all-day kindergarten for the 2016-17 academic year.

That's because instituting the program is part of a $55,352,628 budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year voters approved at a Tuesday referendum by a better than 2-1 margin.

The vote was 835 yes and 414 no, according to a memo from the school administration to Board of Education members.

School board member Michael Purcaro hailed the result.

"Research shows that all children benefit from high-quality full-day kindergarten programs," he said. "In Ellington, these programs will help make sure that our students build the strong base of learning they will need to succeed throughout school and life."

He said Ellington was "one of a handful" of school systems in the state with half-day kindergarten.