JANUARY 8, 2016 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2016, 12:31 AM
BY MATTHEW SCHNEIDER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The school district is currently surveying residents for their opinions on the possibility of implementing full-day kindergarten.
The survey, which runs through Jan. 21, is available at surveymonkey.com/r/Full-DayK. The data will be presented to the school board in February.
Those without computers can take the survey from 4-6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 12 at Benjamin Franklin Middle School, 335 North Van Dien Ave., Room 102; or Wednesday, Jan. 13 at George Washington Middle School, 155 Washington Place, Room 248.
“The community survey will be used to gather information on the perceptions about our current kindergarten program and to assist us with determining the feasibility of transforming it to a full-day program,” said Cheryl Best, the district’s assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and support. “We hope that everyone will participate.”
The district hired a demographer, Ross Haber, to determine the feasibility of switching from half-day to full-day kindergarten. That report was presented to the Board of Education this past fall.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/education/survey-open-to-residents-1.1487416
This survey is more likely to be filled out by people with preschool children. How are they reaching residents of all ages? They made it easy to be filled out by one part of the population.
It is not hard to take this survey more than once. I hope that the board does not think that this is a representative sample of taxpayers.
Ridgewood Public Schools will drive enpty nesters out of the village. The cycle is moving faster. Soon the town will be unable to afford all the kids in the district with special needs and the red-shirted “gifted”. Our reputation for quality schools is not based on out full/half day K program.
Full day K will definitely raise my taxes, it will not increase the quality of a Ridgewood Education.
I am saying this as someone who moved to the town before I had children . I paid taxes before, during and after I had children in the district. No one moves to Ridgewood for full day K. There are many great enrichment programs, some with transportation for working parents. Be grateful for what you have.