The school committee had money to pay for part of the full-day program in its proposed budget for the 2007-08 school year, but later eliminated it to focus on getting approval of a Proposition 2½ tax override to maintain current school programs.

"We found a way to do it without adding the cost to the town," said School Superintendent Richard Silverman. "This is a great opportunity for us."

The school system should hear next month whether it will receive the state grant. Assistant School Superintendent Jonathan Landman said state education officials have said Randolph is "probably at the top of the list" due to the system's low test scores.

"This may be our best moment to take advantage of a major state funding stream" that could provide continuing support for the program, he said.

The added class time would boost test scores, officials have said, and is especially important in a community like Randolph, with a large number of low-income families and children in homes where English is not the primary language.

"We know that full-day kindergarten is good for kids," Landman said.

The state grant would be for $15,000 per classroom, not enough to cover the cost of the program. Tuition would be charged to cover the remainder of the cost, at a sliding scale based on income. Full tuition would be about $2,500 a year per student.

Landman said this is "significantly less" than parents pay for child care. The system could also arrange for on-site after-school programs through South Shore Day Care.

Parents could also opt to have their children remain in the half-day kindergarten program under the plan.

School officials will ask parents about their kindergarten preferences during registration next month.

The first step would be a grant from the state which would provide up to $180,000 to cover start-up costs, from buying classroom furniture to teacher training.

School committee members gave administrators permission to continue work on the grants during a budget subcommittee meeting yesterday, but have not decided whether to offer the program.

The decision on full-day kindergarten figures into the $600,000 in budget reductions the school committee is looking to make.

School administrators outlined three options for making the reduction. Two involved closing the Devine Early Learning Center and moving kindergarten classes to the four elementary schools, or moving kindergarten classes to the Lyons School and moving displaced Lyons classes to the other three elementary buildings.

Another option would eliminate bus transportation for kindergarten students.

School committee Chairman Larry Azer said the committee would not decide on any of the options until after the election.

If voters do not approve a tax increase on the March 27 town election ballot, the school system will need to make at least another $3 million in budget cuts.

When selectmen approved a $4.1 million Proposition 2½ override question for the ballot on Feb. 8, they reduced the school's budget request by $600,000. School officials had sought $3.6 million, saying that amount is needed to maintain current programs.

Selectman Paul Connors suggested the schools could make up the money by asking teachers and other school employees to forgo contractual pay raises for the 2007-08 school year.

Azer said he has met with the leadership of school employee unions and they have "politely declined" to renegotiate their contracts.

Fred Hanson may be reached at fhanson@ledger.com.