No 'All-Day K' For Barrington in Fall, But Maybe by January

All-day kindergarten in Barrington is dead for next fall, but it could be launched in January.

The Barrington School Committee voted 4-0 Thursday night to ask Superintendent Michael Messore to look into the financial feasibility of launching all-day kindergarten mid-year next school year. 

Most of the School Committee members seemed adamant that starting all-day kindergarten in the fall was not possible with the $45.6 million spending plan approved by voters at the Financial Town Meeting two weeks ago.

The vote by the school board came after several hours of being bombarded with comments and criticism by dozens of parents and all-day kindergarten proponents who demanded that the full-day program be started in the fall.

“Your job is to make this happen,” said John Cregan. “The people want it. I have a hard time believing you cannot come up with $400,000 to make this happen.”

People voted at the Financial Town Meeting the way they did because “it was clear there is enough money in the budget,” said another parent, referring to the rejection of an amendment that would have added $633,000 to the school spending plan.

“Where is the result of the pencil sharpening?” said Katherine Ellis. “I expected to come here tonight to see some analysis done. It’s disheartening that a small percentage of pupils’ needs are not being met.”

“Why can’t you change the Strategic Plan?” said Katherine Crain, who moved last year from Providence, where she was president of the school board. “Next year is not good enough for our kids. I am very concerned that the kids will be behind.” 

Kathy Lentz said: “Waiting another year for the perfect all-day kindergarten is of no value to these kids. Anything more than what we have is an improvement. Do not let another class go through this.” 

School Committee Chairman Robert Shea Jr. said it could take “in excess of nine FTEs” to come up with the cash to fund all-day kindergarten in September “and I’m not ready to make that cut.” 

Messore, who has recommended waiting a year to start all-day K, said: “I’m not willing to decimate elementary programs to fund all-day K this year. I can’t jeopardize programs for all other students.” 

Scott Fuller, who is the only School Committee member to support Messore’s recommendation, said: “We are looking at “purposeful adandonment” of programs for next year to make things like all-day kindergarten finally happen after years of tossing around the idea. Waiting would give the school board time to make those strategic cuts.

A previous superintendent said all-day kindergarten couldn’t happen until a new middle school was built, Fuller added.

“I applaud Mike because he said it does not have to wait another three to six years,” Fuller said. 

Geoff Grove, a member of the Committee on Appropriations, said: “It all boils down to priorities determined by the School Committee.”

The primary priority this year was compensation for the teachers, which took most of the $900,000 increase given to the schools by the COA, he said.

Joel Hellmann, another member of the COA, said: “We definitely need some strategic abandonment. The School Committee has to decide what its priorities are. COA’s priority is the entire town and all taxpayers – what’s fair to everybody.”

“You’ve got to convince them (School Committee) that this is a priority,” Hellmann said to the parents.

There were at least two parents in the audience who said they supported the unpopular position that Barrington does not need full-day kindergarten. 

“I don’t see what’s broken,” said Amy Segal. “The kids have been doing very well for a long time in Barrington. Why do we need a change? Many other people feel the same way.”

Emily Connor said she shared Segal’s view. Early childhood education is very different. Keep the curriculum that is approved for early childhood needs, she said. 

Absent from the School Committee meeting Thursday night was Patrick Guida, a member of the new RI Board of Education that was voting on RI Education Commissioner Deborah Gist’s contract at CCRI in Warwick.