Kindergarten teacher Jamie Allen works with her students for the end of the year program songs and dance in class at Connoquenessing Valley Elementary School on Friday May 11, 2018.

Butler School District recently became the fourth in the county to offer a full-day kindergarten program to its youngest students.

The benefits of a full-day kindergarten program are many, according to school officials who have full-day programs, from giving more time for instruction to getting children used to the daily routines of school life.

Karns City Superintendent Eric Ritzert said while the quality of the time spent in school is more important than the quantity, there are definite benefits to a full-day kindergarten program.

“One of the benefits of having full-day kindergarten is that it allows the time to provide more enrichment activities for those students ready for the challenge and targeted remedial activities to those who might be behind,” he said.

Butler's full-day program will have five special periods per week, lunch and a rest period where students can nap or have quiet time, Hopp said. There will also still be a half-day program in the morning for families that already made those arrangements for their children.

The district calculated the cost of a full-day program several years ago at around $1.5 million for staffing such a program, Vitale said.

A full story will appear in the Butler Eagle.