Senate DFL signs on to all-day kindergarten

Education committee chair Sen. Chuck Wiger D-Maplewood and other DFL education committee members gathered to talk about their plan before entering a press conference to reveal the details. Thursday, April 11, 2013 GLEN STUBBE * gstubbe@startribune.com

Free all-day kindergarten appears to be a winner in this year's legislative session.

DFL education leaders in the Senate unveiled their education plan Thursday, which called for $130 million in additional spending to allow all districts to provide all-day kindergarten. Currently, all-day K is available to about two-thirds of all students, but some parents have to pay a fee.

"We should not base going to kindergarten on your zip code or on what you can afford," said Sen. Chuck Wiger, DFL-Maplewood, chair of the Senate's E-12 Funding Division.

DFL Gov. Mark Dayton and DFL leaders of the House also support funding for free all-day kindergarten, and the only question appears to be whether there will be enough money to extend it statewide.

Under the Senate bill, all-day-K would be optional for both districts and parents.

The Senate bill also includes:

-- $44 million to help lower-income families attend early-childhood programs.

-- Changes in the state's testing system for students.

-- An additional $9 million for special education.

Wiger and other leaders said they would provide property tax relief by replacing some locally-raised education money with state revenues. They said funding for integration would be contingent on how well districts do in helping targeted students.