Nearly every public school elementary district in Wisconsin is now offering 4-year-old Kindergarten (4K) to all four-year-olds, according to preliminary data from the Department of Public Instruction. Nearly 50,000 children were enrolled in 4K in the 2013-14 school year. With five additional districts offering 4K in 2014-15, it is likely that more than 50,000 children will be in 4K. Only 22 of the 413 districts are not offering 4K.
The number of children in 4K has more than tripled since the 2002-03 school year, when 16,051 children attended 4K. In the 2013-14 school year, 49,839 children attended 4K, about 70% of Wisconsin’s four year olds.
Slightly more than half of four year olds attending 4K programs are in districts using the community approach model, collaborating with child care, Head Start, and other community-based early childhood programs.
Dave Edie
K-12 Education in the Fox Valley
Every student in the Fox Valley region deserves to receive the educational support and resources needed to help them achieve a bright future. Over the past few years, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant impacts on students in Wisconsin. These challenges were particularly acute for students who were more likely to be struggling prior to the pandemic, like students with lower incomes, students of color, and students who speak English as a second language. With federal pandemic relief funds drying up, state leaders must ensure schools have adequate resources and that students don’t fall even more behind.
