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Administration and staffers outlined the program recently for Board of Education members noting that due to the increasing curriculum demands being handed down by the state they feel it is in the best interest of their students to switch to the all-day format.

"The demands on students have increased dramatically in the past ten years. Kindergarten has become much more academic," said kindergarten teacher Julie Schexnaildre.

The district currently has four half-day sections with 19 students in each. Under the current format students receive 300 minutes per week of language arts instruction and 120 minutes of math. Based on projected enrollment, plans are to offer three sections with 24 students in each. The all-day format would more than double language arts instruction time to 750 minutes weekly, and more than triple math instruction time to 450 minutes weekly.

Along with added instructional time, all students would reap the benefit of having academic instructional time in the morning.

"Studies and research show that children learn better in the morning, so academics would be stressed in the morning with other activities and social skills stressed in the afternoon," noted Superintendent Mike Wallace.

Switching to the all-day format would cost the district roughly $50,000. The elimination of the mid-day bus runs would help offset that figure by $15,000 to $20,000.

According to Wallace, the only uncertain factor in the equation is state funding cuts.

"At this point in time it's pretty much a done deal as long as there are no severe funding cuts in education at the state level," Wallace stated.

"An all-day kindergarten program will enhance our academic program by allowing more time for teachers to work individually with students to raise the level of achievement," he said.

The district recently conducted a survey regarding the program which indicated that 44 out of 48 parents of incoming kindergarteners prefer the all-day format.