Palos 118 Board Approves Resolution for Free Full Day Kindergarten

At its February 20 meeting, the Palos 118 Board of Education voted to approve a conditional resolution for free full day kindergarten to start in fall 2024 should voters approve a referendum that will appear on the March 19, 2024 ballot.

Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Anthony Scarsella told board members at the February regular board meeting that the State of Illinois has mandated that all Illinois public school districts must provide free full day kindergarten starting in the 2027-28 school year but the successful passage of the district’s referendum in March would provide funding to start the program 3 years ahead of the state mandated deadline.

Scarsella said that the resolution is the first formal step to implementing the full day program if voters approve the referendum. The District currently offers a tuition-based full-day program that requires families to pay $3,250 per student for a full day of instruction.

On the March 19 ballot, Palos 118 is asking voters to approve a referendum that would allow the school district to shift approximately $4.35 million in future property taxes from its debt service fund to its operating fund to address financial challenges stemming from unfunded mandates from the state and federal government. From that, the District plans to utilize $2 million to eliminate growing budget deficits and avoid cuts to programs and services, another $2 million that will fund capital improvements to the district’s aging school buildings, with the remaining $350,000 that will be used to pay for the State’s free full-day kindergarten mandate.

More information about the Palos 118 referendum can be found online at palos118.org/referendum.