The Jurkowski family moved to Tallmadge in 2006 because of the district's excellent-rated schools and its free, full-day kindergarten.

Their 5-year-old son will start kindergarten this fall and their 3-year-old daughter is not far behind.

But this fall, for the first time, Tallmadge will charge tuition for its full-day program — $2,500.

''At this point we're saying, crap, maybe we should have moved to Akron,'' Paul Jurkowski said. ''Why would you cut an area that has time and again been shown as one of the cornerstones of your success?''

Ohio pays all districts to provide at least half-day kindergarten, which is always free to parents. This school year, just over 60,000 children attend half-day kindergarten, according to the Ohio Department of Education. Full-day enrollment is almost 73,500.

The state pays for full-day kindergarten in districts with a high percentage of impoverished families. Akron, Barberton and Springfield schools, for example, all receive funding for full-day kindergarten and do not charge parents.

About 61 percent of children attending full-day kindergarten in Ohio are in districts that receive state money for that purpose, according to the education department.

The state legislature decided in November that districts that do not receive state funds can charge parents tuition on a sliding scale based on income.

Either way, kindergarten is not optional.

All children entering first grade in Ohio, with some limited exceptions, must have successfully completed either half-day or full-day kindergarten at either a public school or a state-approved private program.

Tallmadge will institute charges this year because it faces a deficit in 2010 and has lost twice at the ballot box.

Voters trounced an income tax 2-to-1 in November and rejected an 8.9-mill operating levy in March. The district expects to save $200,000 a year by charging tuition.

''After the levy failed in March, we faced reducing our budget by $2 million and that was included in that $2 million,'' superintendent Jeff Ferguson said.

The district will still provide half-day kindergarten for free. Ferguson said he expected an outcry from kindergarten parents, folks such as Jurkowski.

What he didn't expect was the scolding from Tallmadge residents who were surprised to learn that Tallmadge had been giving away full-day kindergarten when other neighboring districts either charged tuition or offered just half-day.

Ferguson said he has no doubt that it was preferable to provide full-day kindergarten.

''When you can afford it, it's a great service to provide to children,'' he said.

Emphasis in Stark

Plain Local Schools in northern Stark County thinks so, too.

Although Plain also has had a long string of failures at the ballot box and doesn't receive state money for full-day kindergarten, the district has made free full-day kindergarten a centerpiece of its educational philosophy.

Plain also believes it makes fiscal sense because it will attract young parents, boost enrollment and ultimately increase the district's state funding.

''It's part of our business plan to offer all-day kindergarten,'' said Karen Vrabec, communications coordinator.

When Plain offered only half-day, it ran the risk of parents placing their children in private or parochial full-day kindergarten programs.

''You may not get that child back, come first grade,'' Vrabec said. ''If we can get them here all day, every day, then they're more likely to keep with us.''

The anecdotal evidence is encouraging, she said. Kindergarten enrollment is up and it looks like the children are staying in the district.

Plain isn't the only district that doesn't receive state money for full-day kindergarten, but still offers it free to parents.

Mogadore, Norton, Twinsburg, Woodridge, Field, Rootstown, Streetsboro, Chippewa and Rittman all offer full-day kindergarten at no charge.

Going to a full day from half would cost Copley-Fairlawn $450,000 a year, assistant superintendent Brian Poe said.

''We'd be doubling the staff from five teachers to 10 teachers,'' Poe said.

Limits in Copley

Instead, Copley-Fairlawn adds two hours onto the half-day program for those children that educators determine could use extra help in reading, writing and recognition of sounds and symbols.

That help is offered now at one of the district's three schools and serves a dozen students. Poe said the district would like to extend that kind of targeted intervention to all three elementary schools, but he does not anticipate adding full-day kindergarten anytime soon.

''Our students are prepared for first grade in our half-day program,'' Poe said. ''Our students who are struggling would receive the targeted intervention.''

Many districts have charged tuition for full-day kindergarten for years without controversy, but the issue got stirred up last fall when Attorney General Marc Dann issued an opinion (later addressed by the legislature) that no district could charge for full-day kindergarten.

The confusion in Columbus provided another reason for Coventry schools to scale back its full-day kindergarten to half-day.

Coventry's all-day class had just 15 students and the district decided its resources were better spent in first grade.

''We just decided not to offer it this year,'' superintendent Russell Chaboudy said. ''We put some additional resources for students at the first-grade level who need some additional help.''

Area districts that charge tuition — including Tallmadge, Kent, Stow, Lake, Jackson and Green — are using income information parents submit to receive free and reduced-price lunches to determine eligibility for a reduced price on kindergarten.

''That's the only verifiable information we get from parents,'' said Joseph Giancola, superintendent of Kent City Schools.

Kent offers full-day kindergarten at half price to parents who would qualify for free lunch. Those who qualify for reduced-price lunch will pay 75 percent of the $2,657 tuition for the coming school year, almost $2,000.

Kent, like Copley-Fairlawn, also offers an extended day for kids who need extra help in literacy. Kent also offers free all-day kindergarten for special needs children.

Tallmadge's decision to start charging tuition is controversial, but it also can be difficult to stop charging for tuition if taxpayers have to foot the bill.

Stow-Munroe Falls asked voters in March for a 6.5-mill, five-year levy to bring in new revenue and, among other things, eliminate tuition for all-day kindergarten. Voters soundly rejected the levy.

''It was not a selling point,'' said Jennifer Huffman, community relations coordinator. ''In feedback from voters, they were not supportive of all-day kindergarten.''
noweb