Elizabethtown board approves hybrid full‑day kindergarten pilot amid divided votes

The Elizabethtown Area School District board on Feb. 25 approved a hybrid full‑day kindergarten proposal for the 2025–26 school year in a 6–3 roll‑call vote after more than two hours of presentation, board discussion and public comment.

Board member Kelly Carter moved to approve “the administrative suggestion of a full day kindergarten hybrid” funded by Ready to Learn grant dollars; the motion passed after roll‑call voting. Superintendent Dr. Nell and kindergarten staff had presented the proposal and a grant allocation summary at a prior meeting and again to the board before the vote.

The vote capped a lengthy public comment period in which parents, early‑childhood advocates, educators and community members spoke almost exclusively in favor of expanding kindergarten access. “Please vote yes for the full day hybrid kindergarten program. It will benefit our students and our teachers,” said Amy Carr, a parent and Bear Creek volunteer. Jim Safford, president of the Elizabethtown Area Education Association, told the board that research shows early investment in children can reduce later special‑education costs and improve long‑term economic outcomes.

Board members who supported the motion emphasized that the hybrid model is tied to grant funding. “This would be the goal that the program would continue as long as the grant existed,” Carter said during debate, repeating administration guidance that the Ready to Learn money would cover three kindergarten teacher positions and related benefit costs identified in the proposal.

Opponents raised questions about equity, long‑term cost and timing. Some members described the lottery element that would allocate hybrid seats as problematic and argued that the district should not adopt a program that could be only partly offered to students. One board member said: “I truly believe that it is not a service to our students to do that. The idea that if the funding goes away … we could lose those funds.” Others urged caution because the district faces a major middle‑ and high‑school project and uncertain future revenues.

The administration said the Ready to Learn grant provides funds for teacher salaries, benefits and a defined set of allowable uses; administration and board members repeatedly warned that a portion of the governor’s proposed funding (described in the budget as an “adequacy” allocation) is not guaranteed and could be subject to legislative change. Dr. Nell told the board the proposed hybrid would be treated like other grant‑funded positions: posted and hired with clear grant‑funding language and subject to nonrenewal if the grant ended.

Votes at a glance

- Full‑day kindergarten hybrid (agenda item 6): motion to approve moved by Kelly Carter; second not specified in the transcript; roll call 6 yes, 3 no (Yes: Riggleman, Schrum, Carter, Emery, Gillis, Reed; No: Wilson, Missus Lindemuth, Board President Steven Lindemuth). Outcome: approved.

Context and next steps

Board members and administration said the hybrid launch will rely on the Ready to Learn grant to cover three teacher positions; transportation costs were described by staff as not increasing because bus seats currently reserved for AM/PM kindergarten would be reallocated for full‑day riders. Administration said it would report back to the board if grant amounts change, and any grant‑funded positions would be posted with explicit grant‑funding terms.

The board did not adopt a district‑wide full‑day rollout; supporters said the hybrid pilot is an incremental step toward broader access, while critics warned the proposal could create unmet expectations if state funding changes. The board’s adoption means the administration will begin implementation planning for 2025–26 under the grant terms.