Full-Day Kindergarten Mandatory
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Win Jimmy Buffett tickets Submit pur best Parrothead photo for i chance to wjjrapair of tickets to see Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band at DTE Energy Music Theatre June 10.60 to www.hometowniife.com for details?- -"^-^ f*T#Tftj| Talk about it .com 75 cents WINNERS OF STATE AND NATIONAL AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE www.hometownlife.com Mayor announces start Editor's note: For more on the when the rest of the park mayor's State of the City speech, could benefit from what will see Page A3. certainly be a costly project. BYDARRELLCLEM He also urged residents to OBSERVER STAFF WRITER "temper their expectations" due to ongoing testing and Mayor William Wild has the need to develop a reme- indicated that an initial diation plan acceptable to phase for fixing lead-con- the Michigan Department of taminated Central City Park Environmental Quality. could potentially begin by The latest proposal for the Full-day late summer, offering "the former landfill near Ford and first hope for a solution to Carlson would complement this problem that has seemed plans for building a so-called kindergarten at times insurmountable." Play Planet and Rainforest Wild's surprise announce- H2O Zone, or "spray park/' 7 ment came Thursday eve- immediately north of Central ning during a State of the City Park, in what is com- Too much or a step up? City address that depicted monly called Tot Town. Westland as a forward-think- Wild's remarks inside the "The direction in which education starts a man ing place where city officials, packed auditorium of Glenn will determine his future life." residents and businesses are High, his alma mater, came So wrote Plato more than 2,000 years ago, and working together to create a as residents face a second educators and policy makers still believe it's true. bold vision, despite economic summer of being fenced out So what could be more important than kin- problems. of Central City Park, which dergarten, which opens the door to a lifetime of Mere hours before Wild once hosted everything education? Little does a 5-year-old know what a delivered his crowd-rous- from youth baseball to the milestone kindergarten represents on the long ing, 45-minute speech inside American Cancer Society's walk toward adulthood. John Glenn High School's Relay for Life. Lawmakers in Lansing are considering making (uiditoriura, he engaged in On Friday, Assistant full-day kindergarten mandatory. Bra that has talks with Wayne County Wayne County Executive raised serious questions about the need and value officials who indicated they Alan Helmkamp indicated of such a program. are willing to move ahead support for Wild's state- Today, in the second and final part of this series, with a first-phase reme- ments, saying the county the Observer & Eccentric Newspapers will look at diation plan for Central "has agreed in principal" to a what schools already offer and what impact this City Park, focusing on the phased remediation plan that PHOTOS BY BILL BRESLER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER could have on schools that don't offer it. We'll also easternmost 12 acres of the will require state approval. Lexie Kirkendall is ready* with an answer during the kindergarten class math exercise at Aflen look at the potential psychological impact of send- 100-acre site. The area would "We appreciate Mayor Elementary School in the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools. ing such young children to school all day. likely receive several new soc- Wild's leadership on this cer fields, pavilions and rest- issue," Helmkamp said. room facilities, he said. He also seemed encouraged "I think phase one is a that the county, which owns Some schools already offer full-day programs great start, and I, as an opti- the park, can reach a new mist, look forward to seeing agreement to continue leas- BYTONYBRUSCATO a shovel in the ground by the ing the park to the city when OBSERVER STAFF WRITER end of summer," Wild said. the current lease expires in Even so, he didn't indicate October. As the state Legislature considers bills how long the initial phase mandating full-day kindergarten, many might take to complete or [email protected] | (734) 953-2110 school districts are already providing all- day education for children in their first year in the public school system. Some districts, like Southfield Public Schools, have been offering all-day kinder- garten since 2004. "Most of our families have two work- Mayor ing parents, and a lot of single moms William Wild and grandmothers are raising children delivers a ... they need full-day kindergarten," said hopeful State Ken Siver, deputy superintendent. "If I of the City could have done it sooner, I would have. speech at the Everybody, nowadays, is looking for full- hometown day kindergarten." school he Others see the reality of finding class- attended, room space and added costs, such as addi- John Glenn. tional teachers and program materials, TOM HAWLEYI STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER will make the change a costly one in the face of state foundation grant increases that aren't keeping up with inflation. Teacher Heather Kearney at Allen Elementary School, is an eight-year veteran of teaching "If the Legislature wasn't looking at it, I kindergarten. She works with students Chloe Cox and Chris Pohl, playing number dominos during don't think we would be actively pursuing centers time. it," said George Belvitch, director of ele- mentary education for Plymouth-Canton Some question stress of full-day kindergarten, A5. Livonia Public Schools administrators are Hundreds of Westland vot- and Ann Arbor Trail, said Schools, where the foundation grant is also in the process of exploring all-day kin- ers who live in a north-end Westland City Clerk Eileen $7,500. "It would be very difficult for us to "And, it would mean additional teachers. dergarten. And, just like Plymouth-Canton, neighborhood will be cast- DeHart. afford." We have approximately 27 kindergarten costs and space are primary concerns. ing ballots at a new location In all, 1,468 voters will be Plymouth-Canton has cut nearly $15 teachers. We'd have to double that. Do the "I'm not certain if all of our schools starting with the Aug. 5 pri- making the move, she said. million over the past seven budget years, math, that's a sizable amount of money." could accommodate full-day kindergar- mary. "It's going to take effect for including the need to eliminate some 21 According to Belvitch, the math puts ten," said Sheila Alles, director of aca- Precinct 27 residents who the August election." full-time-equivalent positions for the about a $2 million price tag for teachers, demic services. "We've figured the initial used to vote at the Livonia Voters should begin 2008-09 school year. And, that's in a dis- plus equipment and training. The district start-up cost would be $2.4 million, with school district's now-closed receiving their new voter trict with increasing enrollments over the would also face $80,000-$100,000 in lost an annual cost of $1.3 million. We would Perrinville School will cast registration cards this week. same time frame. revenue from-its Kindergarten Crew pro- need 22 new teachers. their ballots at the Western DeHart's office plans to start "It would put additional strain on our gram, a fee-based program that extends Wayne Skill Center, at Ritz sending them out on Monday. elementary buildings," added Belvitch. the day for kindergartners. Please see FULL-DAY, A5 5 The Observer & Eccentric Coming Thursday Newspapers For Home APARTMENTS D3 in filter Delivery call: AUTOMOTIVE C9 Volume 44 CLASSIFIED C7-D9 (866) 887-2737 Number 2 HEALTH C6 HOMETOWNUFE C1 JOBS C7 NEW HOMES D1 OBITUARIES C4 OPINION A7 REAL ESTATE D2 J SERVICE GUIDE D4 Horror host WolfmanMac, B1 GAISNETT SPORTS iwvf umnk in Eiltof Observer S Eccentric | Sunday, June 1,2008 A2 (w) LOCAL NEWS Www.hometownlifexom Run Drugs Out of •i F Town gains support BY REBECCA JONES or 10k run or 1 mile walk at the'' OBSERVER STAFF WRITER Hines Park Nankin Mills site. The course is newly certified A run, a raffle, and lunch fol- with U.S.A. Track and Field, : lowed by ice cream help set the which means the race winners * course for a drug-free commu- will set the first course record. - nity events on Saturday, June 14. Teams have also formed in Run Drugs Out of Town, in honor or memory of a loved its second year, brings people one who has faced a battle with together to raise awareness about drugs or to represent their com- teen drug use and raise money pany's commitment to the cause. for the Livonia Save Our Youth They wear colored T-shirts to - Task Force. show unity. Event coordinator Chris This year, about 60 City of Ogden, a 2002 graduate of Livonia employees signed up, Churchill High School, organizes and the police department is it This year she has gotten help more involved. from sponsors Ken Wagner "Chief (Robert) Stevenson is Insurance Agency and Parkside very proactive in the fight against Community Credit Union, the drugs, especially when it comes Livonia Police Department, to the youth of Livonia," said Sgt. St. Mary Mercy Hospital, local Mike Killingbeck, of the crime businesses and fellow Churchill prevention bureau. Stevenson, classmate Chris Connor, of the himself a long-distance runner, Dallas Stars. said the event would be a good He'll be there handing out use of drug forfeiture funds. prizes to race winners and will Killingbeck said the police donate some items for a raffle.