Free, Full-Day Kindergarten Option ‘Very Promising’ in Mehlville Schools

Tuition-free, full-day kindergarten at the Mehllville School District may be coming closer and closer to reality, but the final decision won’t be made until a meeting later this month.

“It is looking very promising that I will be recommending a tuition-free kindergarten program for full day kindergarten for next year,” Superintendent Eric Knost told the Mehlville School Board at the Nov. 7 meeting.

The plan depends on having more than 600 families sign up for the full-day classes, and the district is still analyzing enrollment data from October.

The board decided to dedicate its Nov. 29 meeting to analyzing enrollment numbers and making a final decision on the program. The meeting will start at 7 p.m. at the administration building at 3120 Lemay Ferry Road.

If the full-day program is not free, tuition for the 2013-14 school year will probably not increase from 2012-13 levels, according to a report from Noel Knobloch, the school’s chief financial officer. The school board delayed approving tuition rates until they have decided whether or not the district will charge tuition.

Mehlville is one of only four districts in Missouri that charges tuition for its full-day kindergarten. The three remaining districts are also in St. Louis County: Lindbergh, Rockwood and Webster Groves school districts. Kirkwood School District most recently switched to a tuition-free program in December.

Parents will still have the opportunity to enroll their children in the half-day program.

SEE RELATED STORIES

• Free Full-Day Kindergarten Plan Needs 600+ Class Size for Approva