Wareham Public Schools kicked off the new year this week, and from the expansion of grant-funded after-school programs to free, full-day kindergarten, staffers say they're looking forward to a great year.

The coordination of two of the district's largest federal and state grants have allowed for an expansion of its after-school CARE program, which stands for Community, Academic, Recreation, and Enrichment.

The CARE program, funded by a competitive grant, will work together with the district's "Title 1" grant, which is distributed to towns based on federal poverty levels.

Previously, students at-risk academically and financially were eligible to take part in programs funded by the "Title 1" grant.

New rules allow any student who is considered at-risk, regardless of family income, to get help from the program.

That means that elementary and middle-school students who need a second dose of instruction will be able to take advantage of after-school tutoring and fun CARE activities that are designed to help them build upon the skills they learn in classroom, explained Robert Louzan, Director of Student Services.

The ultimate goal is "to get academic scores up," said Louzan. Pooling the district's grant resources to create a bigger program will ensure that if the district were to lose one of the competitive grants, it wouldn't lose an entire program, he added.

Getting creative with less funding is a common theme throughout the district this school year, after Proposition 2½ property tax increases that would have filled some of the district's budget shortfalls were soundly defeated at the ballot in July.

"People came in on their own time [over the summer] to say, 'OK, this is what we've got. How are we going to make this work?'" explained John W. Decas Elementary Principal Christine Panarese. "There were lots of moves inside the building. ... Our custodians did an incredible job, and our secretaries did an incredible job keeping up with all of the changes."

Though the layoffs of nearly 20 teachers contributed to many of the moves, some were caused by a positive change: the expansion of the district's kindergarten program.

Grant funding earmarked for kindergarten has allowed Wareham Public Schools to offer tuition-free, full-day kindergarten to all families.

Making room for more kindergartners spurred big changes at Minot Forest Elementary.

Budget cuts closed Ethel E. Hammond Elementary in Onset, where Principal Joan Seamans' kindergarten classrooms were previously housed. Moving them to Minot Forest inspired Seamans to reconfigure all of the classrooms, putting the younger students downstairs and most of the older students upstairs.

It was a challenging move, Seamans said, as space at the school was already limited. However, she noted: "It's exciting to have kindergarten through fifth grade under one roof. I'll get to know the kindergarten students more."

Kindergartners and preschoolers head to class on Tuesday, September 11.

Elsewhere at Decas Elementary, the school's new playground is getting its swing set. Volunteers raised funds for the playground, which was built last spring.

Fundraising continued throughout the summer, and the swing set, complete with two wheelchair swings, will be going up soon, Panarese said.

Teachers are also looking forward to getting new interactive whiteboards and document cameras, which were paid for by a $7,400 grant from the Makepeace Neighborhood Fund. Panarese said nearly all of the fourth-grade classrooms will be getting the new technology.

Wareham High School Principal Scott Palladino is excited for new technology, as well.

The school's library is getting a new presentation area with an LCD projector, which will allow students and teachers to present course material and projects. The funding was donated by the Gateway Tavern, following its annual golf tournament.

"We're really trying to integrate technology into the curriculum and allow students to have that 21st century experience," Palladino said.

A donation from the Class of 2012 is going to upgrade the school's computer lab. The computers were crippled with problems last year, Palladino said.

"This is something the seniors were adamant about," Palladino explained. "They wanted to see us upgrade the computer lab with any funding they had leftover."

Despite the tumultuous budget year, the teachers and students hit the ground running on Tuesday.

"It's very exciting to have them all back," Principal Seamans said of the students, echoing many of the district's teachers and administrators. "Despite everything, we're ready to open the doors. The staff are great. We'll have a great year."