`shakespeare's R&j' Returns Classic To True Form

Ann Lane

By BONNIE ADAMS badams@leader.net
 Wednesday, January 22, 2003 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 8A 





EXETER - The Wyoming Area School Board on Tuesday night voted down member
Robert Orlando's motion to begin full-day kindergarten in the coming school
year. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 He said a decision needs to be made now in time to register children for
full kindergarten in March. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; But board member Toni Valenti said the board wasn't supposed to vote on the
issue at Tuesday night's meeting. "There's still a lot of things we need to
iron out." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Last school year, the district considered expanding its half-day sessions
to full days this academic year. But the School Board voted against it and
opted to study it and possibly implement full-day sessions in 20032004. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Parent Ree Ree DeLuca told the board Tuesday that her son would be ready
for full-day kindergarten. "It needs to get settled and done." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But parent Joanne Shiner urged the board to wait to begin full-day
sessions. She expressed concern about how expanding kindergarten would require
more space and affect other class sizes. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Valenti, board President David DeMark, Anthony Sobeski, Eugene Thomas Jr.,
and John LaNunziata voted against the motion. Orlando, Donald Lloyd, Tom
Vaxmonsky and Gilbert Dominick voted for it. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The board could vote on the issue again in coming months. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The full-day plan would cost the district an additional $200,000 the first
year and about $125,000 in subsequent years without additional funding.
Orlando said an annual audit had found the district had an additional $200,000
and that a district retirement incentive had saved about $169,000. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Parents had expressed mixed views at an informational session in November
where several teachers had endorsed the full-day plan. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Superintendent Ray Bernardi said afterward that a decision about a full-day
program must be made by March at the latest to register children in April. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Wyoming Area Rejects Motion On Kindergarten