Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, June 17, 1993                   TAG: 9306170159
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-1   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: RICK LINDQUIST STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD                                LENGTH: Medium

ALL-DAY KINDERGARTEN, MIDDLE SCHOOL SOUGHT BY RADFORD BOARD MEMBER

Her comments came during a special School Board meeting Wednesday at McHarg Elementary School.

Plott, a former Pulaski County school administrator, told Superintendent Michael Wright that moving sixth-graders from Belle Heth School to Dalton - which now has only seventh and eighth grades - would bring the school in line with the prevailing middle-school concept.

The move then would permit moving third-graders from McHarg to Belle Heth School, the city's other primary school, to equalize the populations of the two schools and help provide enough room for an all-day kindergarten program at McHarg.

At an earlier board meeting, Plott distributed a long analysis outlining the pros and cons of a full-day kindergarten, which she strongly favors.

She said after Wednesday's brief board meeting and school tour that a successful full-day program also would likely eliminate the need for the current transitional first-grade class at McHarg. The so-called "T-1" program is for youngsters deemed not ready for a regular first-grade classroom.

Radford now offers half-day kindergarten sessions to 97 youngsters, with three morning and two afternoon classes at McHarg. Some city residents have taken advantage of full-day kindergarten in Pulaski County.

But, the city's kindergarten enrollments are on the rise, and over 100 youngsters have been registered so far for the fall. Wright has said he anticipates another dozen to two dozen more over the summer.

Wright said Dalton couldn't handle the 80 to 90 sixth-graders without new construction. The school, which serves 222 students, has a nominal capacity of about 300. He said the school would need another four or five rooms for sixth-graders, since there's no room in the adjoining high school for intermediate school students to "spill over."

But Plott said construction was not always feasible and urged board members and school administrators seek more creative solutions.

McHarg Principal Betty Henry said the school, which has 486 students, is tight on space. Belle Heth has about 300 students.

Plott said coming up with an acceptable plan to reshuffle the third- and sixth-graders - and to make other scheduling changes - would require cooperation "from the top down."

While at McHarg, Wright, board members and administrators got a look at what will be the school's newest kindergarten room this fall. Converting the room will mean cutting a doorway through a foot-thick, load-bearing wall at a cost upwards of $3,000.

"It's much more complicated than we originally thought," Wright said.

McHarg now has three kindergarten classrooms and offers three morning and two afternoon classes, each with just over 20 youngsters.