State law could leave bills for parents of kindergartners

 

The education bill recently signed into law may have left some parents with big bills to pay for full-day kindergarten programs.

When Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann stated in September that public districts should not charge tuition for full-day kindergarten because state law calls for a free education to all children, districts such as Worthington and Grandview Heights stopped charging tuition.

Districts lobbied legislators, however, to push for emergency legislation to allow the tuition, claiming many full-day programs could not continue because state dollars fund only half-day programs, except in districts receiving poverty aid.

House Bill 190 officially was signed into law Nov. 14, said to Lisa Allen, legislative aide in the office of state Rep. Jim Hughes (R-Columbus).

"The bill is in effect, and is considered an emergency measure so that the waiting period is waived," Allen said.

As an emergency measure, the bill took effect as soon as Gov. Ted Strickland signed it into law.

The bill covers teacher misconduct and broadens staff background checks, but also states any school district that is not eligible for state poverty assistance may charge for all-day kindergarten on an income-based sliding scale determined by each district.

Ohio Department of Education statistics show about 70 percent of Ohio's school districts provide full-day kindergarten, with most charging tuition if they don't receive poverty aid.

Grandview Heights City Schools officials gave parents two options when they stopped charging tuition: continue to pay and be reimbursed if the measure doesn't pass or pay later if it does. Because that district charges $275 per month, paying for the current month and two missed months could mean a big bill before the holiday.

Worthington City Schools charges parents $210 a month, but parents have been given a few more options, said Mark Glasbrenner, director of elementary education.

"The bill that was passed clarified that we could charge tuition and also collect retroactively," Glasbrenner said. "We gave parents a number of options. One option was to divide up the fees for the months the parents didn't pay for, which were October and November, and add a portion to each remaining month's bill.

"Another option was to pay the same amount now for tuition, but continue paying in June and July," he said. "The third option was to pay in full the two months that were not paid."

Glasbrenner said the district always has charged tuition according to an income-based sliding scale, and will "consider extenuating circumstances" if parents have concerns with any of the payment options.

"Parents can contact their building principal and set up a plan for repayment," he said. "We are trying to be as flexible as we can, since everyone was inconvenienced by this issue."

Glasbrenner said 405 students are enrolled in K-plus, the district's full-day kindergarten program. Expenses total about $570,000 per year, and all are paid by parent tuition.

The program is popular enough that the district maintains a waiting list, Glasbrenner said.

"We always have people on the waiting list, and what we do is guarantee if a parent is with us in March, they will have a spot in the coming school year, but it might not be in their particular building," he said. "We may expand the program, but we would have to look at our building capacity and determine if we have space for expansion. With our enrollment leveling out and going back up, we have to be cautious about taking space we might need for other classrooms."