The Worthington City School District's Kindergarten Plus program currently is enrolling students, although the future of the all-day program may be in the hands of state legislators.

Parent Amy Krohn told school board members at their Feb. 28 meeting that this fall's tuition increase for the program, from $220 to $290, is not sitting well with many parents.

"The tuition hike is a big concern for some parents," she said. "Some are saying they can't afford to send their kids to the all-day program."

Krohn said she has a son in second grade at Bluffsview Elementary School and a daughter who will start kindergarten next school year.

Assistant Superintendent Mark Glasbrenner said the increase was necessary to try to keep the program close to "cost neutral."

Current state legislation required the district to lower fees last fall to 2008-09 levels, which was $220 per month, when the fees were at $230 per month, Glasbrenner said.

"If we do have the ability to charge tuition this coming school year, it would be $290 per month for nine months," he said. "What we are trying to do is keep the program cost-neutral for our taxpayers. The increase will cover the cost of the additional staffing we have to have to offer the all-day program."

Parents can begin the kindergarten registration process online by visiting the district website, worthington.k12.oh.us, and clicking on the "district information" link at the toolbar at the top of the page, then clicking "new student enrollment."

The first cutoff date for application to enroll students in their home school of choice is at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, March 10.

The open enrollment deadline is April 20, when students have a chance for enrollment, but not necessarily at their home schools.

Glasbrenner said 74 percent of the district's kindergarten students, or 515, are enrolled in the all-day program.

State legislation implemented last year required all districts to offer an all-day program for the 2011-12 school year at no charge to parents, but that unfunded mandate would cost Worthington schools more than $1 million per year, said Superintendent Melissa Conrath.

Conrath said many school districts, including Worthington, applied for state waivers this year so they could postpone offering an all-day program taxpayers would have to fund.

"We are hopeful legislation will be passed soon so we can continue offering the fee-based program," she said.

Glasbrenner said if legislation reversing the mandate does not pass, school board members will have to decide if all Worthington kindergarten students will be enrolled in the half-day program, thus eliminating the all-day program for this coming school year, or if the district can absorb the cost of the program and offer it to parents free of charge.

He said the student selection process, which begins March 17, is by lottery at each school. Names are drawn of students whose parents are interested in the program, and those students are more likely to attend a program at their home school. Other students may be enrolled in the program in kindergarten classrooms at other elementary buildings.

Glasbrenner said he hopes the district can continue the all-day kindergarten program.

"I think it is one of the strongest programs we have in our district," he said. "When you look at intervention and enrichment, it covers the spectrum. We have offered the program since 2002; it has become a part of the fabric of Worthington schools."

"The tuition hike is a big

concern for some parents.

Some are saying they can't

afford to send their kids to

the all-day program."

--Amy Krohn