Kindergarten students in Palmerton Area School District will attend school for a full day starting next year.

Board members unanimously approved switching from a half-day to full-day kindergarten at Tuesday's meeting.The move had been discussed, and supported by teachers and parents, at a recent board workshop."Some of the main advantages are it allows more time for group and individualized instruction, hands-on activities and fine motor activities, which are crucial at that age," Dan Heaney, Palmerton's curriculum director, said at the workshop. "Many students also have no preschool experience, which makes that jump to first grade difficult. Right now, kindergarten students get about two hours and 15 minutes of instructional activities, and that would jump to five hours and 15 minutes."With Palmerton adding a full-day program, it leaves Panther Valley School District as the only one in Carbon County to send students for a partial day.Several line items will go up as a part of the transition.According to Palmerton's projections, one additional teacher would be needed at Towamensing Elementary School, two at Parkside Education Center and four more instructional assistants.Additional teachers and instructional assistants, however, would cost it between $300,000 and $340,000, according to projections from the business office.Added curriculum expenses would be around $22,000."We do have some grant money set aside that is bookmarked for the startup costs, so that would not have to come out of the next budget," Heaney said.Savings would come in the area of transportation. A midday bus run will be cut out with students staying a full day.Superintendent Scot Engler pegged the savings at $96,000.According to the state Department of Education, around 80 percent of districts in Pennsylvania have full-day kindergarten.