All-day Kindergarten – Arizona

Cuts to all-day kindergarten big problem for schools, parents, By Pat Kossan, March 19, 2010, Arizona Republic: “Arizona’s experiment with free full-day kindergarten is over. State lawmakers last week permanently cut the funding that made the programs possible in many schools, and now parents, public-school districts and charter schools around the state are struggling to find ways to keep them going. It’s likely some all-day kindergarten programs will close permanently, some will stay open with a bare-bones staff, and others will be available only to parents who are willing to pay out of pocket for the full-day curriculum. All-day kindergarten had a bumpy phased-in start that began in 2005; its demise came quickly last Friday when lawmakers cut the $218 million in program funding as part of their budget-balancing efforts. When classes start this fall, it means that once again the state will pay only for half-day kindergarten sessions; the extra cost of a full day will likely have to be borne by parents or property-tax payers…”