ANAHEIM : District Reworks Kindergarten Policy

Following protests from parents and teachers, the Anaheim City School District has modified a recent policy that had meant kindergarten teachers would supervise up to 65 children.

District officials last month had directed kindergarten classes be combined for as long as 22 minutes a day to cope with a booming student population and a limited 38-vehicle bus fleet.

Kindergarten teachers and parents opposed the move, arguing it would cut into valuable instruction time and pose safety risks.

At last week’s board meeting, district officials announced eight schools that do not bus students could either eliminate or reduce their classroom overlap time.

But seven other schools that rely on bus transportation will still have to use the overlap schedule.

District officials also said because of fire codes, some classes could not be combined since the rooms can accommodate only 45 students safely. Each school will decide how best to comply with the safety codes, officials said.

Supt. Meliton Lopez said the overlap time situation is “not ideal” but preferable to other more drastic options to resolving the problem. For example, the district cannot afford to purchase more buses, Lopez said.

And if school schedules were changed, the result would be either children waiting for a bus in morning darkness or the elimination of field trips, she said.

Some parents and teachers, however, say they will continue to oppose any kindergarten overlap time.

“This is just a Band-Aid solution to the problem,” said Connie Boydstun, who has a child in kindergarten. “Why don’t we look at the real problem and fix it?”