May 16, 2008 By Rebekah Sungala 4 min read

BROWNSVILLE – Parents in the Brownsville Area School District will have the option of sending their children to all-day kindergarten in the fall. At Thursday’s school board meeting, directors voted 5-0 in favor of implementing the program. Brownsville had been the only school in Fayette County not to offer a full-day program.

The motion to institute and establish an all-day kindergarten program using a $483,255 Accountability Block Grant from the state Department of Education was made by board member Ronald Dellarose and seconded by board member John Harvey.

Dellarose, Harvey and board members Sandra Chan, Ellen Rohrer and John Evans voted in favor of using the money to create an all-day kindergarten program.

This was the second time the board voted on the program.

Board members R.W. Brashear, Stella Broadwater, Francine Pavone and Andy Dorsey were absent from Thursday’s meeting.

The decision to create an all-day kindergarten program was supported by parents and teachers who spoke in favor of the move prior to the board’s vote.

Parents who spoke publicly reprimanded the directors who voted against the program at a special meeting held Monday.

At Monday’s meeting, Broadwater and Pavone voted against having all-day kindergarten. Dellarose, Harvey, Chan and Rohrer voted in favor of the program, while Dorsey abstained from voting. Evans and Brashear were absent when the vote was taken.

Although the all-day kindergarten program had support from the majority of present board members at the special meeting with a 4-2 vote, school board solicitor James Davis said five votes were needed to have the majority of the nine-member board.

Dellarose and Harvey thanked the community for supporting the all-day kindergarten program and for attending Thursday’s meeting to voice their opinions.

“It may be a small step, but it’s a critical step for our school district,” Dellarose said.

Dr. Harry Miale, acting superintendent, said parents will have a choice whether to send their children to half-day or all-day kindergarten in the fall.

In unrelated business, the school board approved a tentative $22 million budget for the 2008-2009 school y ear that includes a 3/4-mill tax increase.

A 3/4-mill increase would set the tax rate at 12.147 mills in Fayette County and 68.317 mills in Washington County.

With the tax rate of 12.147 mills, a Fayette County homeowner with property valued at $75,000 would pay $911 per year in taxes.

Business manager Edward Yorke said 3/4 of a mill generates $225,000 in revenue for the school district.

The first attempt to approve the tentative budget failed by a 2-3 vote, with board members Chan, Rohrer and Evans voting against it.

Miale told board members it was imperative they pass a tentative budget, saying state law requires every school district to approve a tentative budget in May and adopt a final budget in June.

Following a 43-minute executive session, the board revisited the motion to approve the tentative budget, with the tax increase and the motion passed on a 5-0 vote.

Prior to the executive session, Evans questioned whether or not the school board could enter into executive session to discuss the budget since it didn’t involve personnel, litigation or legal matters.

Davis said he believed the board could go into executive session to discuss the budget because not approving a tentative budget could result in legal ramifications.

Following the 5-0 vote, Chan said Yorke was directed to cut any unnecessary expenses from the tentative budget in hopes of adopting a final budget in June without a tax increase.

The next school board meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. June 19 at Hiller Elementary School, at which time directors are expected to adopt the final budget for the 2008-09 school year.