Wantagh's New Full-Day Kindergarten Program Announced

Full-day kindergarten in the Wantagh School District is now official.

Wantagh school officials announced the new program on Tuesday two weeks after district voters overwhelmingly approved a $74.2 million 2013/14 budget that includes funding to expand the current half-day kindergarten model. Wantagh is receiving $554,580 in full-day kindergarten conversion aid from the state for the first year of the program.

“The Wantagh Board of Education and administration believe it is important to provide the district’s youngest students with a strong foundation for future success,” the district stated in its full-day kindergarten program announcement. “With the introduction of the New York State-mandated Common Core Learning Standards and heightened expectations for student achievement on New York State-mandated assessments, it is imperative that the district provide the instructional time students need to be successful and competitive.”

Wantagh adding full-day kindergarten leaves East Meadow now as the only district in Nassau County without the program. Wantagh school officials said benefits of a full-day kindergarten will include:

• More interactive and independent learning time.
• Earlier academic gains in English language arts and math that form the foundation for future success.
• Expansion of learning opportunities to support the New York State-mandated Common Core Learning Standards.
• Individualized attention to students’ interests, learning profiles and readiness levels.
• An environment favoring a child-centered, developmentally appropriate and differentiated instructional approach to learning