Worthington Schools offers all-day kindergarten free to every student

Worthington Schools has moved to an all-day kindergarten model that is free for every student, Director of Elementary Education Rob Messenheimer said during a Worth the Journey podcast interview. The district previously used a tuition model for full-day kindergarten.
Messenheimer said the change removes a financial barrier that some families faced. “We were excited to introduce all day kindergarten across the board,” he said. “We’ve moved to a model now where all day kindergarten is free for every student.”
The district serves about 11,000 students and 1,400 staff members, Messenheimer said on the podcast; he oversees 11 elementary schools and the district preschool at Sutter Park. School officials said the Welcome Center handled substantial summer enrollment work, including kindergarten registration and open-enrollment processing, as the district transitioned to the new kindergarten model.
Administrators described the policy change as an access measure intended to give all families the option of full-day kindergarten without paying tuition. No specific funding sources or budget figures for the expansion were stated on the podcast.
District leaders said they were “off to a good start” with the expansion and expect continued positive uptake as families complete enrollment for the school year.
Looking ahead, Messenheimer said the district will monitor implementation and enrollment trends but did not announce a separate vote or board action during the interview.