By GAIL LOWE
WAKEFIELD — A discussion offering free full-day kindergarten in Wakefield will be front and center at tonight’s school board meeting.
Discussions will then continue at an informational meeting for parents on Thursday, Dec. 11 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Woodville School on Farm Street.
The focus of the session will be to discuss the possibility of expanding early childhood options in the district to include free full-day kindergarten for the 2015-2016 academic year, said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Stephen K. Zrike.
Zrike said he has heard from many parents and staff that providing tuition-free kindergarten for all should be a priority for the district.
“Parents and staff felt strongly that with shifting academic expectations, coupled with the growing social and emotional needs of students, that all children deserved a full, robust and enriching kindergarten experience,” said Zrike.
“As more communities around the Commonwealth move to free kindergarten for all, many point to this being a significant disadvantage for our students,” he continued. “The School Committee has heard this feedback and has made the pursuit of tuition-free kindergarten one of their goals for the 2014-2015 school year.”
Currently 262 communities in Massachusetts offer free full-day kindergarten to students.
At the informational session on Dec. 11, teachers and administrators will share information about shifting expectations for students in early childhood, fiscal implications for offering tuition-free kindergarten and a potential timeline for implementation.
Zrike emphasized that the session is an “exploratory discussion” but one he is eager to launch.
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Other topics on tonight’s school board agenda include SAT college and career readiness benchmarks, a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) presentation, capital requests, approval of clerical job descriptions and acceptance of a gift.
Policies concerning homeless students and CORI checks also will be brought to the table.
