Kirkwood Superintendent Holds Meeting About Half Day Kindergarten

In December of last year, the Kirkwood Board of Education approved the implementation of free, full-day kindergarten throughout the district. At the time, some parents said they were concerned half day kindergarten would disappear. Tom Williams, superintendent of schools, then told parents that half day kindergarten would continue to be offered as long as there was a demand for it.

(Read previous story: Kirkwood Board of Education Approves Full-Day, Tuition-Free Kindergarten)

“We want to offer the half-day program for as long as it is feasible,” Williams . “ It’s a parent choice, I believe. We want parents to have the choice of a full-day program or a half-day program. In reality, it becomes a supply and demand issue as well.“

On March 9, parents in support of the half day program will meet with Superintendent Williams to ensure the half day option continues to be offered for the 25 students currently enrolled in the program, according to the website http://kirkwoodhalfday.com, a site that supports half day kindergarten.

“Superintendent Williams has agreed to meet with the parents to discuss how the district is going to meet the needs of the half day children because they are dispersed throughout the elementary schools,” said Sara King, who is running for a seat in the Kirkwood school board in the upcoming election and has been an advocate for half-day kindergarten.

There are currently five students enrolled in , five enrolled in , three in , four in and eight in .

“In my opinion, based on prop 1, we built space so that all children could attend half day kindergarten in their home school,” King said.

The meeting will take place on at 10:30 a.m., March 9, in the central office of .