Kindergarten Still Not Mandatory In Indiana
(From rtv6 ABC, August 2, 2012)
INDIANAPOLIS — The 2012-2013 school year is already under way for many school districts, and more Hoosier children will be attending full-day kindergarten thanks to an $80 million state funding boost.
Previously, students received $1,234 in funding, but this year they will receive double that, or $2,400 per student.
Documents provided by the Indiana Department of Education show 337 school districts plan to participate in the 2012-2013 full-day kindergarten program.
IDOE spokesperson Alex Damron told Call 6 Investigator Kara Kenney that 14 additional school districts will be able to offer full-day kindergarten this year because of the funding.
Damron said in 2005-06, 10,247 Hoosier children were supported by the full-day kindergarten grant.
In 2011-2012, that number grew to 66,401.
The $80 million applies to this school year only, according to Damron, and some say the state needs to find a long-term solution to funding full-day kindergarten.
Right now, kindergarten is not mandatory in the state of Indiana.
“I think we need to make full-day kindergarten part of regular school and treat kindergartners as we would 1st through 12th graders, otherwise it’s still going to be an add on, it’s still going to be a debate every year,” said Larry Grau with Democrats for Education Reform. “The data and studies are unequivocal. We do need to have an expansion of early education in Indiana, and I think it’s time to make this a priority.”
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