RECEIVED
JAN 1 8 2005
SPEAKER'S OFfiCE
President Ken Bennett
Arizona Senate
1700 W. Washington
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Speaker Jake Flake
Arizona House of Representatives
1700 W. Washington
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Governor Janet Napolitano
Office of the Governor
1700 W. Washington
Phoenix, AZ 85007
January 7, 2005
Dear President Bennett, Speaker Flake and Governor Napolitano,
Pursuant to Laws 2004, Chapter 278, please find attached a copy of the preliminary
recommendations of the Joint Legislative Study Committee on Full-Day Kindergarten.
Additionally, please find attached a dissenting report signed by the Co-Chairs of the Committee.
The Committee met three times, and attachments and minutes may be obtained through the
Office of the Chief Clerk in the Arizona House of Representatives and the Secretary of the
Senate in the Arizona Senate.
Sincerely,
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Senator Robert "Bob" Bums,
Arizona Senate
District 9
.~~
. Representative Linda Gray,
Arizona House of Representatives
District 10
Joint Legislative Study Committee on Full-Day Kindergarten
Preliminary Recommendations
I. Funding:
A. Funding is based on student projected average daily membership (ADM) formula.
B. Funding will be phased-in 20% increments over the next five years.
C. It is recommended that the free and reduced lunch poverty indicator be used for
determining priority of schools to be phased-in.
II. Capital Accommodations:
A. Funding for square footage deficiencies to be calculated using the current School
Facilities Board formula base recognizing Kindergarten students as full-time
ADM.
III. Program Implementation:
A. Diagnostic Assessment:
I. Accountability for student improvement includes valid and reliable formative
and summative assessments.
B. Professional Development:
I. Require Professional Development related to delivery of Kindergarten
standards and responsive to diagnostic results.
II. Dialogue with Colleges of Education within the state to provide researchedbased
instructional training directly in support of teaching to the standards.
C. Other Considerations:
I. Identify the state's role in monitoring of districts in all areas. (Funding,
Capital Accommodations and, Professional Implementation).
President Ken Bennett
Arizona Senate
1700 W. Washington
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Speaker Jake Flake
Arizona House of Representatives
1700 W. Washington
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Governor Janet Napolitano
Office of the Governor
1700 W. Washington
Phoenix, AZ 85007
January 7,2005
Dissenting Report of the Joint Legislative Study Committee on Full-Day Kindergarten
As Co-Chairs of the Joint Legislative Study Committee on Full-Day Kindergarten, we
express deep concerns regarding the preliminary recommendations as approved by the
Committee. After listening to testimony and presentations representing both sides of the issue of
full-day kindergarten, it has become evidently clear that there remains numerous unanswered
questions on implementing a statewide program at this time. These questions include, but are
not limited to the following:
Funding:
According to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, there continues to be a large
structural deficit in the State budget, a fact that will continue for the foreseeable future. The
preliminary recommendations as approved by the Committee fail to take into consideration such
an economic outlook. Additionally, the preliminary recommendations neglect to specify a
reliable funding source. Therefore, as approved, the preliminary recommendations would lay an
additional burden on the State General Fund and exacerbate the current budget shortfall, which
we could not in good conscience, as legislators, support. As stewards of the taxpayer's money,
our constitutional responsibility requires sound fiscal policy that protects the integrity of the
State's budget.
Capital:
In addition to our budgetary concerns, there continues to be outstanding questions related
to the capital aspect of implementing a statewide program at this time. It has become apparent
through numerous presentations that school districts will be impacted on the capital side beyond
what is funded through the School Facilities Board formulas. This unknown fiscal impact to the
local and state taxpayers casts a dark cloud over the extended cost of the program. Without
additional funding on the capital side, school districts that do not qualify for additional capital
funding would be placed at a disadvantage.
Additionally, we are reminded that the current funding needs for the School Facilities
Board have been reliant upon the State General Fund as the main funding source. In recent
years, however, the State General Fund has been unable to handle existing School Facilities
Board needs.
Furthermore, to simply take a current School Facilities Board formula and change the
calculation method for kindergarten students is overly simplistic and fails to consider the
exceptional needs of the school districts impacted by mandatory full-day kindergarten. As a
Legislature, we need to look at different funding streams currently available in order to fulfill our
responsibility of providing a sound fiscal policy for the taxpayers of this state.
Without knowing the actual capital costs associated with a statewide program, we cannot
support preliminary recommendations that are not fiscally sound or responsible.
Other Considerations:
Through numerous presentations to the Committee, it became abundantly clear that
national data does not exist that ensures a full-day kindergarten program would provide longterm
educational benefits to students. Testimony indicated that whatever benefits are derived
from full-day kindergarten dissipates by the third grade and is negligible, at best, by the fifth
grade. Research regarding the students that are most at-risk is quite limited due to mobility. As
was pointed out in presentations, the only comparison data we have is for students who have
stayed put for a few years. With existing national data clearly delineating the lack oflong-term
benefits of full-day kindergarten to the students of Arizona, we cannot support a costly endeavor
that would continue plunging the State into further budgetary chaos.
With the national data on hand suggesting that full-day kindergarten fails to provide longterm
benefits to students, we find that there are additional methods and reforms that would
increase educational achievement in Arizona by providing better options for parents.
Unfortunately, the Committee failed to take into consideration other educational reforms that
would ensure that parents are provided the opportunity to decide on full-day or half-day
kindergarten programs in the school of their choice and that would not be a mandated burden
placed upon the school districts and charter schools of this state.
Finally, any further discussions of legislative funding for kindergarten must include
viable half-day options where all of the Arizona Academic Standards are met.
With these considerations, we respectfully disagree with the preliminary findings
forwarded by the Committee and ask that you take this dissenting report into consideration when
reviewing the preliminary recommendations.
Sincere!}',
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Serfcttor Robert "Bob" Burns,
Arizona Senate
District 9
Representative Linda Gray,
Arizona House of Representatives
District 10
