West Salem board approves four‑day, full‑day 4K program with standard bus routing

The West Salem School Board voted to shift its 4K program to a four‑day, full‑day schedule (Monday–Thursday) and to provide transportation under the option recommended by staff that puts 4K students on regular bus routes at 3:10 p.m.

Board discussion focused on logistics, staffing and cost. Alex, an elementary school staff member and representative of the 4K team, told the board that moving to full day ‘‘would ensure 4K students get that strong foundation in academics and social‑emotional learning’’ and that ‘‘moving to a full day schedule would help retain and attract families to our district.’’ Alex described a proposed schedule of 8:45 a.m. to 3:10 p.m., a surround‑care option staffed by 4K paraprofessionals through 4:30 p.m., and morning door‑to‑door pickup for families who need it.

Board members and staff discussed two transportation approaches. Under Option 1, 4K students would board regular buses at 3:10 p.m., with routes developed to include neighborhood 4K stops; staff and drivers at the bus garage favored this approach as the least disruptive to existing activity and athletic routes. Option 2 would have offered surround care until about 4:30 p.m. plus a second, 4K‑specific late‑afternoon route, but presenters and drivers raised concerns about driver availability, longer ride times and potentially higher costs.

Members raised budget questions. One board member said converting to full‑day could ‘‘increase our budget by $300,000,’’ and presenters replied that additional enrollment could offset some costs. Ryan, presenting budget context, noted the district would continue to receive 60% state reimbursement for 4K FTE under current law and that staffing projections for implementation would add roughly 2–2.5 teacher positions compared with the current year.

A board member moved to adopt the full‑day 4K model for Monday–Thursday and to provide transportation as described in Option 1; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote. The chair said the board would receive a more detailed update after the holidays to finalize routing, staffing and any fee structure for surround‑care services.

The decision formalizes a major operational change for the district that district staff said aims both to strengthen early learning and to reduce open‑enrollment loss at the 4K level. Next steps include developing bus routes with the transportation director, finalizing staffing assignments and determining whether surround care will be a paid breakeven service for parents.