Once again, kindergarten students will experience a staggered start at the beginning of the 2026-27 school year.

The Ellsworth-Kanopolis-Geneseo USD 327 Board of Education voted 4-2 to approve the request for a six-day staggered start for kindergarten students during the Feb. 9 meeting. Board members Ashley Bohl and Jake Svaty voted against the motion.

“The staggered start on a working parent trying to establish day care is rough,” Bohl said. “I understand if there is enough ahead of time communication, but it’s still tough on a working family. I still think it puts our parents and families in a bit of a bind.”

She said she heard from several families in the fall.

“Five families reached out,” Bohl said. “There was a bit of lapse on the communication about when homeroom would be established. We didn’t talk about that when it was presented.”

She said parents were unsure how long it would be before a student’s placement was finalized.

“They were looking for some consistency for some point,” Bohl said. “Parents felt the month was too long to put on a 5-year-old.”

Ellsworth Elementary School Principal Sheila Shaffer explained the process.

“Their day was consistent,” she said. “It was the normal day they’ve had throughout the year.”

Shaffer said the staff took a little extra time to ensure the student placement was optimal.

“We knew there may need to be some movement of kids to be sure the chemistry was right,” she said. “The first two weeks is like a honeymoon. They don’t feel comfortable enough to show us who they are.

“After about a weekand- a-half, we would see who they really were. We looked at how they formed relationships as we were watching them play on the playground. We wanted flexibility to move them, but not after a month.”

Kindergarten teacher Gwen Laas said the first days with fewer students allowed extra attention from teachers.

“It was easier to build a relationship with those kids faster,” she said. “You could focus on the kids when you had a smaller group.

“We’ve tried a lot of different things. This year was probably the best start for me in 25 years of teaching kindergarten, mostly because the atmosphere could be calm, relaxed and really focused on the smaller group of students.

“We could help them adjust more to the full days. It’s a huge change for a 5-year-old coming into a big school.”

Hand washing is one example of setting students up for a more successful year.

“We teach a hand washing routine. I could teach them, notice the problems they were having,” Laas said. “Now, I rarely have to prompt or redirect them. In years past, it’s been not as smooth. That’s just one example.”

Kindergarten teacher Zoe Potter said with smaller groups the first few days, she was able to learn a little more about the students.

“I had a kid say ‘I’ve never seen a pencil before,’” she said. “Since then, I’ve been able to see he needs a lot of fine motor skills and practice because he’s never picked up a pencil before.”

Kindergarten teacher Erica Arb said consecutive school days can be tough for those starting kindergarten.

“The second day is that kid’s rest day and process day,” she said. “When you come one after another, they never have time to process and rest after what they learned the first day.”

Bohl said she appreciates the feedback.

“I think getting kids in the classroom in a consistent environment I think would benefit them the most,” she said. “I would like to see a more quick transition than what it was this past year.”

Shaffer said students were moved within the first three weeks of school. After the first month, no further adjustments were made.

She also told the board she will work with kindergarten parents to find solutions for childcare during those first few days of school.

“We’re a great community, we can make it work,” Shaffer said.

The 2026-27 Kindergarten Recruitment Night will be held from 5-6 p.m. April 9. Parents can register online at https://forms.gle/ wngelxazsa5cphyd7.