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Teachers and principals urge board to keep full‑day kindergarten, citing Idaho IRI gains
Summary
Teachers and principals at a BONNEVILLE JOINT DISTRICT meeting presented classroom examples and Idaho IRI data showing substantial academic and social‑emotional gains for full‑day kindergarten, and urged the board to maintain the program as the district considers supplemental levy and budget questions.
At the BONNEVILLE JOINT DISTRICT board meeting, kindergarten teachers and principals presented classroom evidence and Idaho research they said supports keeping full‑day kindergarten.
Chantal Jepsen, a kindergarten teacher, summarized an Idaho study covering 2018–2021 and said, “The IRI data showed that full‑day students learn significantly more over the year, achieving 1.2 standard deviation gain over their partial‑day peers.” Jepsen told the board the gains were largest for Hispanic students, English learners and children from low‑income families.
Elisa Sappho, principal of Hillview Elementary, placed the findings in local context: the districtwide free‑and‑reduced‑price lunch rate is 36.79 percent and Hillview’s rate is over 60 percent, she said, calling full‑day kindergarten an equity investment that doubles English exposure and access to instructional materials for vulnerable students.
John Murdock of Yukon Elementary introduced a kindergarten teacher who shared classroom results. Brianna Bird described four years of teaching full‑day kindergarten and cited a recent classroom math assessment in which most students completed 20 problems with about an 85 percent class accuracy rate. Bird said the longer day allows more play‑based learning, more practice with manipulatives, and more time for social‑emotional instruction. "I've also noticed that it has reduced achievement gaps," she said.
Board members asked whether younger students struggle emotionally with a longer day. Doctor Wollstone Hume, superintendent, and teachers said a minority of children take longer to adjust but typically assimilate in about a month, and that pacing and classroom supports mitigate the issue. Hume and others noted that Idaho funds only half‑day kindergarten, so sustained full‑day programs require local investment.
The presentation did not prompt a formal vote on the kindergarten schedule. Board members signaled they will consider the testimony as they deliberate budget priorities and the supplemental levy in upcoming meetings.
