District gets funding boost for full-day kindergarten
Nanaimo News Bulletin
By Jenn McGarrigle
November 01, 2010

More resources are coming for Nanaimo’s new full-day kindergarten classrooms.

Earlier this year, some kindergarten teachers complained to the teachers’ union that money to buy supplies for new classrooms was inadequate.

After sending a request to the Ministry of Education for more funding, the district received a letter two weeks ago allotting it a further $135,000 for conversions, furniture and supplies, said assistant superintendent Chris Southwick.

The district was initially given $210,000 to renovate 21 rooms – lowering the sinks and cubby holes, adding a carpeted area, etc. – and buy furniture and supplies….

The money was supposed to suffice for conversion work both this yeas and next year – an additional nine classrooms are expected to open next fall to add to the 12 opened last month.

Southwick said the ministry initially did not allocate funding for classrooms that were kindergarten classes in the past and thus did not need renovations.

The kindergarten program has very different physical space requirements than a Grade 1 classroom, she explained, because kindergarten is a play-based program.

But the district argued it needed funding for all the classrooms, not just those in need of renovation, said Southwick, since the others still need to be outfitted with furniture and supplies…