Ten more Baltimore County public schools will add all-day kindergarten next fall, raising the total number offering the early education program in the county to 95 out of 104 elementary schools.
In order to comply with Maryland?s Thornton Commission Act of 2002, every public school system must offer all-day kindergarten by start of the 2007-08 school year.
County Executive Jim Smith?s $2.4 million budget proposal last week included $2.43 million in new money to hire 44 more teachers for the additional classes, and $1.1 million new dollars for paid parental helpers in all 95 schools.
The county also is recruiting volunteer supplemental assistants to cover every kindergarten class.
“This is a significant commitment to every kindergarten in every school and we?re ahead of other jurisdictions in this area,” Smith said. “I believe that?s one of the reasons elementary test scores in Baltimore County are strong. The general consensus among educators is all-day kindergarten is critical to be ready for the primary grades.”
The schools adding all-day kindergarten in Baltimore County next year are: Chapel Hill, Westchester, Pinewood, Lutherville, Franklin, Stoneleigh, Kingsville, Seven Gates, Seventh District and Seven Oaks.
Smith?s proposal, scheduled for public hearing in front of the Baltimore County Council April 25, reflects a 9 percent operating budget made possible by local increases in property tax revenue.
Also included in the plan are $22 million in salary increases for teachers, money to eliminate tuition increases at the Community College of Baltimore County and $37 million to help finish new school construction.
On Monday, Smith was at the opening ofa new early childhood literacy center at Essex Library, one of five new such projects in the county.
The literacy centers are designed to make learning interactive and enjoyable for children from birth to 5 years of age, Smith said, and also offer resources for parents and caregivers to help their child learn to read.
Also in the budget for next year, the county executive said, are funds to expand the early childhood literacy centers to all 17 full libraries in the county.
