State more than doubles up on full-day kindergarten funding

INDIANA (WLFI) - Indiana’s funding for full-day kindergarten has increased by more than $100 million for this year.

Up by $107.9 million, the total funds of $189.8 million will be distributed Dec. 14 to 338 public school corporations and charter schools for the 79,110 students who enrolled in full-day kindergarten programs for the 2012-2013 school year.

In 2011-2012, just 66,401 students were enrolled in full-day kindergarten, with a total state funding distribution of $81.9 million.

This year’s increase in enrollment and funding has been attributed by the state to the 2012 legislation pushed by Gov. Mitch Daniels and passed by Indiana lawmakers.

That legislation guarantees $2,400 per full-day kindergarten student, and is provided through the Full Day Kindergarten Grant, which was created in 2005.

Previously, funds were dedicated to the Full Day Kindergarten Grant fund in the state budget and the money was divided equally among all students enrolled in full-day kindergarten programs at qualifying schools and districts.

In its first year, the fund distributed $8.5 million to 10,247 students, providing about $830 per full-day kindergarten student. Last year, the fund provided $1,234 per student.

The 2012 law requires that public school districts and charter schools applying to receive the grant funds agree not to charge parents tuition fees for their full day kindergarten programs.

All Indiana public school districts that offer full day kindergarten, 290 total, applied for the funds and agreed to the no-tuition requirement. Forty-nine charter schools offer full day kindergarten and receive support through the Full Day Kindergarten Grant.

In addition to the $2,400 per student allocation schools receive through the Full Day Kindergarten Grant fund, they also receive one-half the per student allocation for the district.

Find out more about the grant and the benefits of full-day kindergarten at the Indiana Department of Education’s website.

Here’s a list of local schools, their amounts of full-day kindergarten students and the amounts of grant dollars each school will receive.

Benton Community School Corporation: 139 kindergarteners, $333,600
Western Boone County Community School District: 122 kindergarteners, $292,800
Lebanon Community School Corporation: 335 kindergarteners, $804,000
Brown County School Corporation: 136 kindergarteners, $326,400
Carroll Consolidated School Corporation: 87 kindergarteners, $208,800
Delphi Community School Corporation: 126 kindergarteners, $302,400
Pioneer Regional School Corporation: 59 kindergarteners, $141,600
Logansport Community School Corporation: 367 kindergarteners, $880,800
Clinton Central School Corporation: 67 kindergarteners, $160,800
Clinton Prairie School Corporation: 93 kindergarteners, $223,200
Community Schools of Frankfort: 287 kindergarteners, $688,800
Rossville Consolidated School District: 72 kindergarteners, $172,800
Attica Consolidated School Corporation: 61 kindergarteners, $146,400
Covington Community School Corporation: 67 kindergarteners, $160,800
Southeast Fountain School Corporation: 70 kindergarteners, $168,000
Kokomo-Center Township Consolidated School Corporation: 525 kindergarteners, $1,260,000
Rensselaer Central School Corporation: 133 kindergarteners, $319,200
North Montgomery Community School Corporation: 148 kindergarteners, $355,200
South Montgomery Community School Corporation: 137 kindergarteners, $328,800
Crawfordsville Community Schools: 201 kindergarteners, $482,400
North Newton School Corporation: 118 kindergarteners, $283,200
South Newton School Corporation: 68 kindergarteners, $163,200
Lafayette School Corporation: 657 kindergarteners, $1,576,800
Tippecanoe School Corporation: 1029 kindergarteners, $2,469,600
West Lafayette Community School Corporation: 140 kindergarteners, $336,000
North White School Corporation: 76 kindergarteners, $182,400
Frontier School Corporation: 52 kindergarteners, $124,800
Tri-County School Corporation: 59 kindergarteners, $141,600
Twin Lakes School Corporation: 176 kindergarteners, $422,400
New Community School: 37 kindergarteners, $88,800