New money is flowing to school districts statewide to fund universal, all-day kindergarten next year, and many south-metro schools are arranging space and bus schedules as they prepare to have thousands more kindergartners for a full day.
But the situation varies from district to district. Half already offer free all-day kindergarten and will see few changes; the other half will expand their offerings from limited, fee-based programs and are still communicating with parents and finding the necessary space. Only one, Shakopee, will start from scratch, having never offered a full-day option.
All 17 districts in Scott and Dakota counties say they plan to offer all-day kindergarten next year, and most anticipate very few parents requesting a half-day option.
In Burnsville-Eagan-Savage, for instance, 800 students already attend free all-day kindergarten, with only one student opting for a half-day, according to Ruth Dunn, the district's communications director.
Some districts, like Northfield, will continue offering parents the option to pick up their child at noon, while others, like West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan, still plan to offer sections of half-day kindergarten. Others are still deciding.
For districts already offering it for free, having the state pick up the tab on those costs will help them fund other initiatives. The Cannon Falls district, for example, made budget cuts last year to be able to offer free all-day kindergarten for the first time this year. Now the new funding "will help my general budget, definitely," said Superintendent Beth Giese.
In the eight area districts that now charge for a full day, the cost ranges from $2,000 in Hastings to $3,400 in Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan. Most have scholarship programs for low-income families.
Shakopee has never offered an all-day option "because of growth and space limitations," said Nancy Thul, the district's teaching and learning director.