Even though some towns only have a few students who meet the requirements and none of the South Bergenite towns currently offers a comparable program for the general student body, a new state mandate requires school districts to provide full-day pre-kindergarten classes for economically disadvantaged students. In order to meet the state’s new requirement, several of the towns in the South Bergenite area are turning to the South Bergen Jointure Commission (SBJC).
Legislation signed into law in January expands mandatory preschool programs to all economically disadvantaged students. Formerly it was only Abbott districts were required to provide it. The law provides an additional $11,500 in funding per student. The same standards that are used to determine whether students qualify for the free or reduced lunch program are the ones that determine whether they qualify for the pre-k program. The income scale depends on the number of people per family, but a family of four needs to be making a household income of $27,560 or less to qualify.
Carlstadt, East Rutherford, Lyndhurst and North Arlington all currently offer only half-day preschool. Rutherford doesn’t offer it at all.
In Rutherford, only two students are anticipated for next year, according to Leslie O’Keefe.
"The program is very elaborate," said O’Keefe. "And for a small number of kids the cost [of providing the program in district] would be prohibitive." O’Keefe noted that there needs to be a teacher and assistant teacher as well as additional faculty such as social workers, learning consultants, parent coordinators and speech and language services. The requirements grow longer if any students with disabilities enroll. Furthermore, the class size needs to be under 15 students. She noted Rutherford’s kindergarten classes go as high as 24.
Students from Rutherford will be enrolled in a program at the SBJC’s Sylvan School campus. Having the program in town prevents Rutherford from having to provide transportation.
Lyndhurst is taking a similar approach. About 37 students have been identified as possible candidates for the program, according to Superintendent Joe Abate. The SBJC will be handling Lyndhurst’s students as well in a room the commission currently rents in town’s recreation center.