School districts working on how to implement full-day kindergarten

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130):  With registration a few weeks away, many school districts are still trying to figure out how they will implement all-day kindergarten this fall.  They'll be holding meetings this week to hammer out the details.

The Vancouver School Board has just found out how much money it will be getting to introduce the program, and that has raised some concerns.  VSB Chair Patti Bacchus says thanks to a non-existent budget they may even be forced to cut French immersion programs or other curriculum to make all-day K work.  "We don't know what the requirements will be from the minister.  Does every school have to have full-day K if they are offering the funding, does it mean we have to provide it?  In cases where we now have a morning and afternoon kindergarten, we might be hard pressed to find space."

The provincial government says only half of all children in B.C. will have the option for full-day kindergarten this fall.  The Coquitlam and Burnaby school districts say they are running out of time as registration is three weeks away.