One of the two proposals presented to the Warsaw School Board Monday night was to move the Alternative Learning Center from Lakeview Middle School to the former Madison Elementary School.
The other proposal was for all Warsaw elementary schools to offer optional full-day kindergarten.
Assistant Director of Special Services Tony England said as they looked at changing locations of the ALC, they also talked about a new name - Gateway Education Center.
The mission and the vision would still be the same as the ALC. The vision is "to give students the opportunities and skills to be successful to make the next transition in life."
The ALC has students from 5 years old to 83 years old all in the same building, England said.
Amy Sivley, director of the ALC, presented a layout of the former Madison school and where ALC programs may be located within the former elementary. The programs include Elementary Reaching Actual Potential, Middle School Reaching Actual Potential, High School Day Treatment, Alternative Instructional Methods and Adult Education.
The Alternative to Suspension and Expulsion serves students in seventh grade to 16 years old. It also can be housed at Madison.
By moving to the elementary school on Union Street, the ALC can offer new programs.
Middle School Alternative Learning Program would be offered for students in the seventh and eighth grade. Rebound is for students in grades ninth through 12th, with preference given to students who previously dropped out of Warsaw Community High School or are at risk of dropping out. Another program would be the Adult Functional Skills Program.
With some of the space at Madison, for additional revenue sources, the conference room in the adult education area of the school could be rented out. Partner programs also could provide funding.
In the end, moving the alternative school to a new location will allow Warsaw Schools to continue serving at-risk students. It will allow Warsaw to serve student groups currently underserved or not served at all, England said.
Superintendent Dr. Craig Hintz said this is an initial report, not a recommendation. Board action will be tentatively requested at the April 25 school board meeting.
Dan Robinson, school board vice president, asked if the Madison gym could be available for rental.
England said ALC programming begins now at 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. so there would be personnel in the building.
Director of Special Services Deb Blatz and Literacy Coach Rachael Hoffert presented the proposal regarding optional full-day kindergarten. They tentatively will request the school board approve the plan at its April 25th meeting.
Blatz said the optional full-day kindergarten program would be for the 2011-12 school year. Warsaw Schools has been researching it for awhile, and talking to other schools that currently offer full-day kindergarten.
Some of the benefits she listed include higher academic achievement, stronger social and emotional development, higher scores on third-grade standardized tests and fewer grade retentions.
Blatz said WCS has not had classroom space for full-day kindergarten until the new elementary schools were opened for the current school year.
Hoffert said WCS has dynamic kindergarten teachers in the district who understand the children. Full-day kindergarten would offer less of a rushed schedule and more opportunities for the students.
Hoffert said full-day kindergarten would provide 90 minutes of uninterrupted reading, writing integrated throughout the day, extended time for math and problem solving daily, daily time for science investigation and experimentation, social studies discussion, daily specials, opportunity for developmental and imaginative play, breakfast and lunch and transportation to and from school.
The state offers a full-day kindergarten grant to schools, Blatz said, but it's like summer school. The more schools that offer it, the more the money is divided. The money to be divided among schools offering full-day kindergarten will be about $58.5 million.
Full-day students gets WCS about $5,500 per student. Half-day kindergartners get the school district half that. The full-day kindergarten state grant would provide about an additional $1,000 per student, leaving a shortfall of about $1,300.
In the survey given out to parents at Monday night's Kindergarten Round-Ups, the survey asks parents their thoughts about full-day kindergarten. It also asks if parents would be interested in full-day kindergarten if there was a tuition charge of $40 per week for a regular student, $20 per week for a reduced lunch student and $10 per week for free lunch student to make up the shortfall.
The survey is available online and at every elementary school.
Matt Dick, board member, asked if other schools offering full-day kindergarten were charging a tuition.
Blatz said Wawasee charges $30, $20 and $10 weekly for its optional full-day kindergarten. Whitko will begin offering full-day kindergarten in the fall, but it's not optional. Districts can only charge if full-day kindergarten is optional.
Board President Deb Wiggins asked Blatz if she had any more current research on full-day kindergarten than 2004. Blatz said that was the most current data she had. Wiggins requested more information including the costs of providing transportation and meals. She also said she would like more time to review the information collected from the parent survey than seven days before the April 25 meeting.
Chief Financial Officer Kevin Scott said if they have 250 kindergartners signed up for full-day kindergarten, and are able to charge the tuition rates Blatz presented, WCS would break even.
