COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Schools facing financial challenges may get to delay the new state-required all-day kindergarten.
Schools argue that the state is unable to fund schools properly and all-day kindergarten could turn districts' financial problems into a financial crisis.
All-day kindergarten at Hilliard would cost an additional $1.3 million in salaries and benefits alone.
The district would also have to add 23 classrooms.
Groveport-Madison Schools already had all-day kindergarten for three years.
Asbury Elementary School teachers see a difference in kindergarten students who attend all-day. They said parents notice the difference, too.
"All-day kindergarten has been very successful for us. We have seen many improvements in math, literacy, the social skills, learning skills for the children," said Ann Noble, a teacher at Asbury Elementary School.
But paying for it isn't easy. That's why seven state senators are sponsoring a bill that would delay the all-day requirement by one year, from 2010 to 2011 -- a move the governor's office opposes.
"Children who were in half-day kindergarten counted as half a child for half-day. Now they'll be offered funding for a full child, so that does give them additional resources to help implement all-day kindergarten in their schools," said Allison Kolodziej, of the governor's office.
Some districts said that funding wouldn't be enough to add staff and classrooms. Groveport-Madison got creative.
"We were able to, here locally, do some shuffling of some of our classroom space and were able to accommodate all-day kindergarten pretty effectively without additional funding," said Kevin Scott, of Groveport-Madison Schools.
Poverty-based assistance paid for most of the cost, but not all districts have that funding.
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