Northville Half-Day Kindergarten to Be Offered at Thornton Creek Elementary School

Superintendent Mary Kay Gallagher announced this week that the district will continue to offer one half-day kindergarten class at , while the rest of the district moves to full-day kindergarten.

"It's the only school that had sufficient interest," she said.

The school board voted in February beginning in the 2012-13 school year. The district previously offered only half-day options at its schoos. In offering the half-day class, the district will keep only half of its per pupil funding for those students. The state legislature approved a change to state aid that will result in losing per student funding for half-day students.

Gallagher said that although the incoming kindergarten class's parents interested in a half day program represent a very small portion of the district population, they feel very strongly about it. Some said they would have left the school district if a half-day option was no longer offered.

On Friday, the district issued forms for parents to fill out and return to the district if they are interested in the half-day program. According to the letter, the district would offer classes from 8:55-11:55 a.m.

Gallagher said the current estimated class size is between 20-22 students.