Some districts charge for all-day kindergarten

UNIONTOWN, Ohio (AP) — Parents in some school districts have complained that despite an opinion by Ohio’s attorney general that school districts can’t charge parents for all-day kindergarten, the tuition bills keep coming.

The school districts say that until the opinion, which is not legally binding, is clarified by lawmakers or the state department of education, they’ll continue the practice of charging for longer kindergarten sessions.

“We are asking our parents to continue the tuition process until we receive guidance from the Ohio Department of Education or the Legislature,” said Faith Kittoe, interim superintendent of the Lake Township school district in Uniontown, about 90 miles southeast of Akron.

Parents there who pay on a quarterly installment plan owe a payment next month, she said.

The Ohio Department of Education requested the formal opinion from the attorney general after parents, claiming that all-day kindergarten is necessary for children’s intellectual growth, complained about paying tuition for a full day of kindergarten.

Formal opinions do not carry the weight of a court ruling or legislation, and the Ohio Department of Education does not have the authority to prevent schools from charging tuition, said agency spokeswoman Karla Carruthers.