Eureka Union trustees hear months‑long debate over moving Green Hills kindergarten to full day; no vote taken

Eureka Union School District trustees spent a large portion of their Dec. 15 meeting on a staff recommendation to transition Green Hills’ kindergarten from a shortened day to a full-day schedule starting in the 2026–27 school year, but took no formal action and asked staff to return with detailed funding and implementation plans.

District leaders presented findings from a review of surrounding districts’ bell schedules, an academic‑minutes analysis showing additional time for reading and math under a full‑day schedule, and qualitative feedback from staff and parents. Dr. Gina Myers, the district’s accountability lead, said the proposed change would increase small‑group instruction and phonics time while noting the need to preserve existing intervention supports and the Multi Age program.

The proposal drew vigorous public comment. Supporters cited equity and research showing benefits of full‑day kindergarten. Alex Murray, a parent, said the extra time “provides meaningful benefits for kids” and would bring Green Hills into parity with other district schools. Educators and parents who opposed an immediate shift cited timing, unclear funding, and risk to the campus’ long‑standing Multi Age program. Christie High School, a Green Hills multi‑age teacher, urged the board not to “take a vote and then we’ll figure it out,” saying staff are at “a breaking point” and need assurances about intervention staffing and funding.

Board members voiced sympathy for both sets of arguments. Several trustees said they support the direction of increased instructional time but not the current timeline or level of detail. Trustees asked staff to develop a concrete intervention model (including costs and sources of funding), confirm any bargaining implications, and specify how the Multi Age program’s staffing and aides would be preserved or supplemented.

District staff told the board that changes to income verification and unduplicated pupil counts have increased supplemental funding this year and that site allocation formulas provide a base allocation for intervention, but that guaranteeing a full‑time intervention teacher would be substantially more costly (staff estimated a rough order of magnitude of about $150,000 annually for a full‑time intervention teacher). Administrators also noted that Green Hills’ Title I status can fluctuate year to year, which affects site funding available for interventions.

Rather than voting tonight, the board directed staff to continue planning, to bring back a specific proposal with costed intervention options and an implementation timeline tied to bargaining and budget development, and indicated the change should not be implemented for the next school year without those details. Trustees repeatedly emphasized that they do not intend to dismantle the Multi Age program and pledged to seek solutions that protect it while addressing the district’s instructional expectations.

The board closed the Green Hills item without action and asked staff to return in the coming months with a plan linked to the budget development process and the outcome of labor negotiations.

What’s next: staff will work with the principal, Dr. Gina Myers and central office to model intervention options, estimate recurrent costs, identify funding sources and bargaining impacts, and return to the board with a timetable for consideration prior to any implementation in 2026–27.