Needham Eyes Full-Day Kindergarten Program

The Needham School Committee is exploring an idea that would call for a full-day kindergarten program in the town.

If approved, the full-day program could take effect in time for the 2017 school year, but cost and space hurdles need to be addressed in order for the proposal to come to fruition.

Those on the school board say the program would cost anywhere between an estimated $1.6 million and $2.7 million.

Only five communities across the Bay State are without a full-day program and Needham is one of them. The limited space available in the town’s elementary schools is a major reason the program has yet to be implemented.

The school board will consult community members, the Board of Selectman and the Finance Committee, over the course of the next year with the hope of moving the idea forward.