FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - January 23, 2017
Olmsted Falls City Schools is excited to announce that it is taking the next steps in educational excellence by providing its full day kindergarten program tuition free for every student, starting with the 2017-18 school year.
“We entered into an all day kindergarten experience with caution and have now been able to take a step back and evaluate the students’ experiences,” said Superintendent Dr. Jim Lloyd. “The positive benefits of the full day kindergarten option have already been readily evident. Our teachers are seeing incredible growth in our students that includes their creativity, social interactions and academic development. We look forward to being able to offer this valuable full day kindergarten experience to all of our kindergarten students without having to charge tuition,” added Dr. Lloyd.
The district piloted an all-day kindergarten program for 125 students this school year. These students paid a tuition fee for the program to cover the additional costs. However, if the district moves to a full-day kindergarten program, the state funding levels change, making it cost-effective for the district to operate the program without parent tuition.
“This option provides so many benefits for our youngest students,” said Dr. Lloyd. “We are striving to provide an exceptional well-rounded experience for all while also being fiscally responsible with taxpayer resources. The fact that we can now offer this tuition free and not break our budget makes this decision fiscally responsible and child centered. This move creates a tremendous value with educational benefits at no extra costs to parents.”
The district will host the annual Kindergarten Information Night on Tuesday, January 31 at 7 p.m. at the Olmsted Falls Early Childhood Center (7105 Fitch Road). Parents of students who will be five years old on or before August 1, 2017 and will be entering kindergarten this fall are encouraged to attend this important meeting to learn more about Olmsted Falls School District’s full day kindergarten program. Parents with children who miss the age cut-off of August 1 are also welcome to attend as the consideration process for early entrance will be reviewed.
Kindergarten registration will officially begin on Wednesday, February 1. The first step to registering a new kindergarten student for the 2017-18 school year is to complete the online registration process accessible from the district’s website, www.ofcs.net.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Please do NOT register your incoming kindergarten student prior to February 1, 2017. The online portal for the 2017-18 school year will not be available until then.
To view a list of Frequently Asked Questions on the 2017-2018 full day kindergarten program, please click HERE.
For additional information or questions regarding the district’s all-day, every-day kindergarten program, please contact the Olmsted Falls Early Childhood Center at 440-427-6360.
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