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Pickerington rolls out free full‑day kindergarten at new center, district outlines schedule and staffing
Summary
Pickerington Local unveiled plans for free, full‑day kindergarten at the Pickerington Kindergarten Center, with a master schedule designed to protect literacy blocks, shared intervention time for early supports and an expected opening for teachers on Aug. 10; screening has begun and roughly 300 students are scheduled.
Pickerington Local Board of Education on June 8 heard a detailed presentation about the district’s transition from half‑day to free, full‑day kindergarten at the newly retooled Pickerington Kindergarten Center.
The steering committee that planned the change — led in part by Sharon Camelio and Matthew (Matt) Dansby — described a model that adds roughly 75 minutes of core instruction and an additional hour of small‑group enrichment and intervention. "We wanted to create a safe, joyful and developmentally appropriate full‑day kindergarten experience," said Matt Dansby, principal at Tuscene Elementary.
The district convened a 23‑member steering committee including kindergarten teachers, paraprofessionals, special education staff, nurses and English‑learner staff. The committee held multiple meetings since January and hosted a kindergarten readiness event Jan. 31 at the Pickerington Public Library that drew about 200 families, Dansby said. Screening for incoming students began the day of the board meeting; presenters reported more than 70 students screened so far and about 300 total appointments scheduled.
At the Pickerington Kindergarten Center, the full‑day schedule is planned to run 9:35 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.; the district said half‑day AM and PM options will continue where state rules require them. To support instruction, the committee built teams (four or five teachers per team) so specials, planning time and interventions can be coordinated across classrooms. "Shared intervention blocks create systems for flexible grouping and help us use support staff more efficiently," Sharon Camelio said, describing the design for early intervention.
The presentation emphasized literacy protection and social‑emotional learning. District leaders said the master schedule "protects the block of literacy time" and that teachers will prioritize small‑group instruction and hands‑on learning appropriate for five‑year‑olds. The district expects the Pickerington Kindergarten Center staff to be in place and the building ready for teachers by Aug. 10.
Board members asked how family engagement and parent organizations would work at the new site. The presenters said PTAs from home schools plan to support the center initially, and the district will continue discussions about whether the center will develop its own PTO. The board also confirmed that before‑ and after‑school care will be provided through the YMCA and that transportation plans for half‑day students are still being finalized.
The superintendent and board praised Sharon Camelio’s longtime contributions; the district noted it will retain her services in a consultant role funded through Title allocations to provide continuity during the transition.
Next steps: the district will finalize transportation logistics, supply orders and staffing, complete the remaining screening appointments and continue parent communications ahead of the August opening.
