BY Nick Mattera
Niagara Gazette
LEWISTON —
A new partnership with the YMCA Buffalo Niagara has allowed the Lewiston-Porter School District to maintain its universal pre-kindergarten program for the 2010-11 school year.
With Lew-Port looking to bridge an unprecedented state aid budget deficit, it considered scaling back or eliminating a number of mandated programs, including Pre-K.
However, a new partnership with the YMCA cut costs by more than $59,000 and allowed the district to retain the “much needed” program.
“All the research shows that if a kid is involved in a Pre-K, educationally base program, they have a higher chance of being successful in school,” Lew-Port Superintendent R. Christopher Roser said. “The data shows how important these programs are to a district, which is the reason behind our desire to maintain it.”
Each of the district’s three Pre-K classes requires one teacher and one aid, paired with a combination of benefits, food, supplies and field trips the programs cost came to $159,558.
Through the YMCA, the entire program will cost $100,000, which the district receives through a grant.
“Teachers hired by us, unfortunately by contract, it’s just a lot more money and in this case teacher’s hired by the YMCA they just are not tied to a contract,” Roser said.
Roser said the YMCA will still meet all guidelines in terms of student to adult ratios. He said there will be one teacher and one aid in each class and all curriculum will be in line with district standards.
