Parents who want their children to attend full-day kindergarten in the Catalina Foothills Unified School District are getting a break.
Instead of having to pay $4,000 per year for each child they enroll in Kindergarten Plus, they will pay about $3,000 upfront or $320 a month for 10 months.
Given anticipated deep cuts in state funding, the district in March eliminated free full-day kindergarten for the 2010-11 school year. The district then sent letters to parents stating that they would have to pay $4,000 or $420 a month for 10 months.
Although the deadline has passed, parents of kindergartners can still register them, said Debbie Ross, administrative assistant to the district Community Schools director.
The tuition reduction was possible because the district won't seek to obtain a license, which means it will save in licensing fees, she said.
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"The program itself is not going to change," she said, adding that it remains a quality program but does not have to adhere to certain guidelines licensed programs must follow.
The district will use tuition money to pay for the teachers and aides who will run the Kindergarten Plus classes. It also will cover use of the library and computers as well as provide supervision during lunch, the district has said.
Contact reporter Lourdes Medrano at 573-4105 or at lmedrano@azstarnet.com
