Wayne OKs Full-Day Tuition Based Kindergarten Program

WAYNE, N.J. — The Board of Education voted Thursday to implement a full-day tuition-based kindergarten program in September, while a permanent, tax-funded expanded program will be proposed in a November election referendum.

Trustees voted 8-1 in favor of the half day of supplemental kindergarten instruction for $250 per month to complement the half day the district already offers.

Another full-day kindergarten referendum will go to voters in November, asking residents to fully fund the $2.1 million program — the same amount that residents voted down via a special ballot question last November.

Wayne is the last district in Passaic County not to have full-day kindergarten.

The half day option will take place at Theunis Dey, Pines Lake, Randall Carter, Lafayette, and James Fallon schools. Students enrolled in the half day program at the district's other schools will be bused to those schools.

The half day program would run from 8:55 to 11:35 a.m. and 12:40 to 3:20 p.m.

Class sizes will be limited to 20 students. A lottery system will be used to determine what students are enrolled. More sections could be added if there is enough interest, officials said.

The $250,000 needed to pay for the program would come from revenue from the before/after care program and not from the district's budget, Superintendent Mark Toback said.

Online registration opens at 9 a.m. April 30 at wayneschools.com and end at 5 p.m. May 5.

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