District 300 debuts full-day kindergarten districtwide as classes begin

Teeming with excitement and wide-eyed enthusiasm, more than 20,900 students and 1,423 teachers returned to classrooms Tuesday in Algonquin-based Community Unit District 300.

Among the highlights this year is the district adding 12 kindergarten classrooms using existing facilities and space, and expanding its full-day kindergarten program to all 17 elementary schools. It also has eliminated the tuition fee for full-day kindergarten classes.

Previously, each of the elementary schools offered a combination of prekindergarten, full-time and part-time kindergarten classes. This year's expanded program provides students individualized support and additional reading, literacy and mathematics instruction.

The response to full-day kindergarten has been tremendous, Superintendent Fred Heid said.

To date, 1,400 students are registered in full-day kindergarten and 11 students are registered in half-day kindergarten, which is being offered only in the morning due to scheduling issues. Previously, it was offered in separate morning and afternoon sessions.

One Algonquin Elementary parent made a decision on the spot to switch her child from half-day to full-day kindergarten, Heid said.

“It's been a great start to the school year so far,” Heid said. “We are really pleased with a lot of the things that we're launching.”

Full-day kindergarten students receive additional daily instruction in math (45 minutes), guided reading (30 minutes), “Becoming a Writer” (20 minutes) and “Word Work” (five minutes). For the first time, students also can take music, physical education and media classes. For more information, visit d300.org/kindergarten.

Parents were able to keep tabs on their children as they were transported from home to school through the Durham Bus Tracker app, Heid said.

“Everything from transportation to other issues seems to be going much smoother,” Heid said. “ ... Part of that could be our improved communication.”

This year, the district has seen an increase in the number of students who have gotten their immunization shots and school physicals done before the start of classes, as required by Illinois law, Heid said.

Heid credited the partnership with the Kane County Health Department, which allowed the district to have multiple immunization clinics during the summer.

“We are very impressed and pleased with the response,” Heid said. “We've been working aggressively throughout the summer. Our nurses have done a phenomenal job. We've seen a significant decline this year in the number of students who are not eligible to start school.”

This year, the district welcomed between 120 and 130 first-year teachers many of whom have worked for other districts.

Also new this year, all district middle schools have enough bandwidth and access points to improve functionality and support high usage.

Officials have deployed more than 1,200 new Google Chromebooks districtwide bringing the student-to-computer ratio in kindergarten through 12th grades to on average one device for every 2.6 students. More devices will be handed out throughout the year to enhance classroom instruction.