Published: January 07, 2009 10:13 am      

Full-day kindergarten and Hoosier College Promise are not included in budget

During his campaign for re-election, Gov. Mitch Daniels talked about many ideas he wanted to implement during his next term.

One was to complete what he started, which was to fully fund full-day kindergarten. So far, the state only partially pays for the program. He also wanted to start Hoosier College Promise, which would help students fund their first two years of college.

Both are now on hold, according to a proposed state budget he announced Tuesday.

That means for schools that charge students for attending full-day kindergarten, fees are unlikely to go away any time soon.

“We anticipate GCCS will continue to charge the $1,200 tuition for those who do not qualify for the free and reduced meals program or those who are identified with significant academic needs,” said Travis Haire, interim superintendent of Greater Clark County Schools.

“I think most of us pretty well knew that with the economic situation that we are in, we probably weren’t going to have any more money to go toward the full-day kindergarten program,” said Monty Schneider, superintendent of West Clark Community School Corp.

Schneider said this means the current fee of $1,000 per student will likely remain intact for the next school year.

Clarksville Community School Corp. offers full-day kindergarten for free to its students. Superintendent Steve Fisher said he hopes to be able to continue that next year.

“Unless we have a large increase in kindergarten students, it will not effect us,” Fisher said, adding that the corporation already has the space and staffing in place for the program.

The delay in starting the Hoosier College Promise program may mean high school seniors have to look elsewhere for money — such as by taking out student loans and getting a job — Schneider said.

He also said he hopes full-day kindergarten is not put on hold indefinitely.

“I hope we get there someday,” Schneider said. “We still feel like it is a very good program.”