Mixed Response To All Day Kindergarten

Leaders of the Kansas House and Senate education committees aren’t sold on Gov. Sam Brownback’s five-year, $80 million plan to pay for full-day kindergarten.

House Education Committee Chairwoman Kasha Kelley says she "would like to take a look at it a bit more." Kelley says she wants to know how the added spending would affect other services and the state’s reserve fund.

Senate Education Committee Chairman Steve Abrams says he hasn’t seen the bill and noted that the research is mixed. Studies generally show children in all-day kindergarten programs make bigger academic gains than students in half-day programs, but research is inconclusive on how long the benefits persist.

Abrams says it boils down to whether parents are "actively involved."