As studies continue to emerge, revealing the impact that early childhood education has on later student achievement levels, many schools and parents have started to take notice. And with plans to expand its current half-day kindergarten program now in the works, North Riverside District 94’s Komarek School is no exception.

According to Dist. 94 Supt. Neil Pellicci, Komarek School hopes to accomplish two goals in expanding its early childhood education offerings in the coming year. Komarek School, a one-school, K-8 district serving North Riverside west of First Avenue and a portion of south Broadview, is looking to add a full-day kindergarten program, as well as a preschool program, in conjunction with the North Riverside Recreation Department. The current half-day kindergarten program serves 44 students while the Recreation Department’s preschool program, which feeds into Komarek, serves 80 students.

“The day simply isn’t long enough for a full curriculum,” Pellicci said about the current half-day program, which meets from 8:20 a.m. to noon. “This leaves a lot of students underprepared for first grade.” Under the proposed full-day kindergarten program, which Pellicci hopes to have running by the start of the 2007 school year, the classes would meet from 8:20 a.m. until 3:10 p.m., just like a regular school day.

“However,” Pellicci points out, “state law requires that if you offer a full-day kindergarten program, you also have to offer a half-day program.” He admitted this would increase costs, but also noted that they can expect more funding from the state in the next year.

Earlier this year, state legislators passed Senate Bill 1497, which created the Preschool for All program, making Illinois the first state to offer universal preschool education. The law amends the school code to authorize the use of state funds for preschool services for children who are not defined as at-risk, and is intended to provide funding to more middle-class families. The budget for next fiscal year includes an additional $45 million for Preschool for All. This may help fund expansion of early education programs at Komarek School.

Dist. 94 and the North Riverside Rec Dept. have held several meetings to discuss the feasability of program expansions. According to Pellicci, a survey was sent out asking parents if they would be interested in a full-day kindergarten program with a preschool feeder program coordinated by Dist. 94 and the Rec Dept. Of the 46 surveys returned, Pellici said, 44 were from parents of 3- and 4-year-olds who expressed positive interest in an integrated program.

Sue Frampton, director of the North Riverside Recreation Department, said she had not seen the survey results yet, but she made it clear it was the purpose of both Dist. 94 and the Rec. Dept. to serve parents’ needs. “We’re open to these programs,” she said. “We just want to benefit the community as best we can. We don’t want to pit one community entity against another.”

She also noted that the community was growing, and these proposed programs may or may not be in its best interests. The Rec Dept.’s preschool is funded by tuition, so any program changes that require more money from the parents may not be greeted as warmly.

“We have been experimenting on our own,” Frampton continued. “We are trying a couple of classes for 2-and-a-half-year-olds, and we have a junior kindergarten program for the older preschoolers who are on the verge of entering kindergarten.

“The good news,” she said, “is that the Recreation Department qualifies for state money. We are just waiting to see how much money.”

The same goes for Dist. 94.

“We will meet with the Recreation Department again after the holidays, when the state government reconvenes,” Pellici says. “At that time, we’ll be able to evaluate parent responses to our survey, and figure out how much help we can expect to receive from the state.”

As for Pellici’s goal-to have a full-day kindergarten program and an integrated preschool in Komarek School by the start of the 2007 school year-Frampton said it would not be impossible. “My budget starts in May,” she said, “so it is not out of the question that it might include these programs.”