ISHPEMING -- The Ishpeming School Board had a special meeting Wednesday night to discuss the future of kindergarten students.
The state is mandating that all kindergarteners attend class for a full day. If schools don't make the change, the state will no longer supply full state aid.
In Ishpeming, the state provides nearly $7,000 per student.
Everyone at the meeting agreed on lengthening the school day for kindergarteners.
"That's what we run our school with. That's what we operate with. If we don't go the full day, we'll lose that or have it prorate down and get half of it, which, to us, with the numbers we're looking at right now, would be a possible loss of up to $135,000," said School Board President, Geno Maino.
With the increase in school hours, the district will most likely have to hire more staff.
If the board had refused to switch to all day kindergarten, they would have been forced to lay off teachers.
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