Kindergarten change irks parents

Parents at Lowrie Elementary School in Elgin are upset about the school's plan to combine two kindergarten classrooms.

Several parents addressed school board members at Elgin Area School District U-46 Monday about the unexpected consolidation of two half-day classrooms, each consisting of 13 students, into one afternoon session.

Parents were notified of the consolidation last week through a letter sent home with students in the two affected classrooms.

"Nobody came to the parents to talk to them about the issue," said Guy Greenfeld, one of 51 parents who signed a petition urging school officials to reconsider the matter.

Several parents said they were irked by the sudden shift in plans, which in a few cases may force parents to find half-day childcare.

School officials notified parents the two classrooms will be consolidated at the end of the week.

"For working parents, this decision is a nightmare," said Jennifer Peifer, one of the parents at Monday's meeting. "It wouldn't have been as big of an issue if the decision had been made before the beginning of the year."

Lalo Ponce, the assistant superintendent for administrative services for U-46, said the school district simply overestimated the number of children to be registered in each classroom.

"As things turned out, the enrollment didn't go to the level to keep both sections," Ponce said. "We do not believe 26 students is excessively high. It's certainly within our standards."