No answer yet on Kindergarten compromise
Pique Newsmagazine (Whistler)
By Andrew Mitchell
Feb 24, 2010

Faced with the choice of either refusing funding for full-day Kindergarten to some students in September or coming up with a fair system to provide Kindergarten to just 194 of approximately 300 kids in the Sea to Sky School District, the district came up with another solution.

A parent came up with an idea to offer half-day Kindergarten to all students in the district from September to January, then switch over to full-day for the rest of the year. No schools or students would be left out and it wouldn't cost any more. Full-day kindergarten would then be fully funded for all students in the province in September 2011.

However, when the district proposed the idea to the province they were told it wasn't possible. Rather than accept that answer, the school district contacted MLA Joan McIntyre who spoke to education minister Dr. Margaret MacDiarmid on their behalf. As well, the school district sent another letter to the ministry with more details on how the program would work.

That was in late January and according to school district superintendent Dr. Rick Erickson, the ministry has yet to reply….

Erickson called the ministry on Monday seeking clarification from the minister and to ask when they could expect a response.

The board is still unsure how it would phase in all-day Kindergarten in the district with only partial funding. They may follow other boards around the province in refusing funding.