LYNN – While the Ford School will not become the first school in Lynn to embark on an extended day program, Superintendent Nicholas Kostan expressed hope that future attempts at bringing the curriculum to city schools would be more successful.Kostan confirmed Tuesday that the Department of Education (DOE) had revoked the $1.2 million grant previously approved for an extended day program at the Ford after the department and teacher’s union could not come to a contract agreement this month.”We never actually received the grant because we couldn’t come to terms,” said Kostan. “It was awarded to us and we were approved to receive it, but it stays with the DOE now and as far as I know it will go to another program probably at another school in the state. Once it was determined that we would not be using the grant I am sure they found somewhere else to use the money.”While Kostan has been frustrated and disappointed by the negotiation process and subsequent failure to finalize a deal, he expressed optimism that future programs could take place at other city schools as early as next year.Along with the Ford, the DOE has approved extended day planning grants for the Ingalls and Connery schools, which could mean programs would start at those schools in the fall of 2008.The DOE approves schools based on proposals filed for extended day grants. When a school is approved it works with the DOE to develop a curriculum and extended day program.Negotiating with the teacher’s union is necessary because the increase in time and alternative schedules change the details of the teacher’s union contract with the city.In the case of the Ford, the curriculum and program were ready to go, but delays in negotiating and a perceived hard stance by the teacher’s union kept the two sides at an impasse.Union Head Alice Gunning accused the department of attempting to bypass the union at the start of the process, which delayed negotiations into the start of the school year. As a result, the department was considering using only half of the DOE’s grant to fund extended day for half of the school year, beginning in January.Gunning said a split pay cycle that would come with the half-year grant was not acceptable to the teacher’s union, and ultimately the final offer from the department was not what the group was looking for.Extended day programs are popping up in many districts across the state with much success, and many school administrators expect the trend to continue with added learning time eventually becoming the norm.Gunning indicated that the union was not opposed to extended learning time, and would negotiate in the future if another proposal came up. Kostan is hoping the proposals in line at the Ingalls and Connery will be more successful than the district’s first attempt at the Ford.”We still have planning grants at two other schools, the Ingalls and Connery, I believe, they have been endorsed by the DOE,” he said. “It obviously hurts to lose that kind of grant for the city of Lynn, but hopefully down the road we can make this thing work here.”