AVON LAKE — In February, News 5 reported on the Avon Lake City School District's decision to raise tuition for its all-day kindergarten program due to budget constraints following voters' rejection of a bond and operating levy last year.
Next school year, tuition for all-day kindergarten goes from $2,400 to $6,280. Half-day kindergarten remains free.
In February, Superintendent Joelle Magyar said the district had planned to eliminate the all-day offering because tuition only covers about 40% of costs. But, Magyar said parents expressed their concerns, and the district reversed course.
Watch News 5's original report from Feb. 6, 2025.
“We had some parents who came back to us and said, ‘Please offer a full-day option. We want our kids to stay in Avon Lake,’” Magyar said. “And we said the only way that we could actually have a full-day option available is if it was fully funded by the parents. The parents came to us and said, ‘We don’t care, please have a full-day option for our kids.’”
She explained next school year, enrollment would be capped at 120 and if there were more applicants than spots, a lottery would be held March 18. This school year, 189 students are enrolled in all-day kindergarten.
I checked with Magyar on Tuesday afternoon. She said a lottery was not needed, and there were about 20 all-day kindergarten spots left.
In my original story, I spoke to two mothers who were concerned about the price hike and challenges some families would face.
I checked back in to see what they decided.
Jordana Revella, who works full-time, said she enrolled her daughter in all-day kindergarten.
Katie Nally, a stay-at-home mom, wanted her daughter to attend all-day kindergarten like her older siblings did but opted for the free half-day offering.
