River Forest Considering Full-Day Kindergarten

Full-day kindergarten may be coming next year to River Forest.

The Board of Education will examine and discuss various options at its public meeting at 7 p.m. on Jan. 4 at Roosevelt Middle School, and then likely make a decision later in the month.

Oak Park's District 97 already has implemented a at all eight of its elementary schools. But River Forest, with its two elementary schools already full, is likely to face more difficulty with space than Oak Park.

District 90 Supt. Thomas Hagerman said the Superintendent's Leadership Council, made up of a group of teachers, has been examining various options and visiting numerous sites to consider what might work best.

Among the options are finding places for kindergartners on existing District 90 property or sending students off site.

These options, as well as estimated costs, will be presented to the school board in January.

Hagerman did list the three possible types of kindergarten expansions under discussion: full-day kindergarten, extended-day kindergarten and a hybrid program. Decisions also need to be made on what curriculum would be taught for a full day.

Examining the kindergarten expansion is a "high priority" for the district, Hagerman said.