CONCORD, N.H.—New Hampshire's 11 school districts without public kindergarten will get help starting programs, but lawmakers disagree about how much and for how long.
Legislation approved by the state Senate last week compels all school districts to come up with a plan to implement public kindergarten by September and to have a program up and running by the time school opens in September 2009.
Senate Majority Leader Joseph Foster, D-Nashua, said Senate leaders still are wrestling with whether it's fair to give districts that don't have kindergarten a better financial deal than was given in the past.
Since 1995, the state has financed 75 percent of the cost of new classroom space for kindergarten programs. The pending bill would continue that 75 percent support and extend the full support for leasing temporary space for three years.
But Senate Republican Leader Ted Gatsas of Manchester wants the state to finance 100 percent of the cost of new classroom space and extend the temporary classroom support for 10 years.
"This just seems elemental to me," he said. "We define an adequate education to include kindergarten; therefore, communities have to have it. That's a mandate, and the state should pay for it."
The controversy springs from a 2007 law that included public kindergarten in the definition of an adequate education. The 11 districts that don't have public kindergarten are Hudson, Litchfield, Lyndeborough, Mascenic, Milford, Pelham, Auburn, Chester, Derry, Salem and Windham.
Sen. Iris Estabrook, D-Durham, said having the state pay for temporary classrooms for 10 years could cause some districts to keep programs in trailers rather than move them to new classrooms.
"We do no not want to see kindergarten students remain in temporary classrooms for 10 years," she said. "By extending it for 10 years, we are simply encouraging that to continue."
But Sen. Robert Clegg, R-Hudson, said he believes the Legislature ultimately will approve 100 percent support.
"People tell me it's not fair to give a better deal to those that have held out," he said. "When is that not the case in business? At some point, the deal always gets better to get everyone to buy something."
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Information from: The Telegraph, http://www.nashuatelegraph.com
