The Lower Merion school board has voted on a move that has been long advocated by parents. Full-day kindergarten will start in the Fall of 2024; however, no spending has been approved, writes Maddie Hanna for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

While a small number of students are offered full-day kindergarten based on needs, the district will have to set aside significant resources to universalize the program.

District officials estimate the expansion could require up to 17 new classrooms and 22 more full-time teachers. The cost of hiring new teachers alone could be about $1.7 million.

Parents, however, are still calling for the district to do what it can.

According to a survey conducted by the Lower Merion School District, 79 percent of the 4,000 parents surveyed were strongly in favor of full-day kindergarten.

In addition to the expanded hours of coursework, the district will also be moving forward on gathering feedback about prolonged start times for all students K–12.

Read more about the campaign for full-day kindergarten in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

_____

Is full-day kindergarten really advantageous to students? In this video, the Peoria Unified School District seems to indicate so.