The Board of Education meeting was standing room only Tuesday night after word got around town that a discussion of transitioning Simsbury's kindergarten from half-day to full-day was on the agenda. Parent after parent raised their hand to speak during the public audience portion eager to have their say on the matter.

"It's amazing that we are trying to teach them just as much [as full day students] in just 2.5 hours," said mom, Jennifer Gregg. Another couple expressed that with the half-day schedule being so tightly packed, there is very little transition time between activities, no unstructured play and no recess, leaving their son dealing with anxiety and stress.

"All day kindergarten has multiple benefits," said a Simsbury resident who also happens to teach kindergarten. "It's crucial children have the amount of time for recess so that they can develop these skills," she said. Other reasons families mentioned for making the move included the cost of afternoon enrichment programming and helping Simsbury students meet state educational standards.

Many local towns have made a similar move in recent years. With the increasing demands of core standards and standardized testing, Connecticut teachers are being asked to teach more in shorter periods of time. "The Board voted in favor of asking me to continue to pursue full day kindergarten," said Supt. Diane Ullman. The Board also passed her proposed 1.78 percent budget increase last night as well.

"Now we will communicate with a variety of stakeholders, parents, teachers and the community," said Ullman, "to gather feedback and depending on whether it is positive feedback move forward."

Ullman says she expects to know for sure by Fri. Mar. 9.

Both the Board and the Administration in Simsbury support the move. The costs of such a move was also on the minds of the many people who attended last night.