BENSON -- All-day, everyday kindergarten will not be implemented in the Benson School District.
The Benson School Board voted 5-1 Monday to keep the program the same, with kindergarten classes being held every other day, Superintendent Carl Remmers said.
The biggest factor in deciding against the change was lack of space, Remmers said. The district also would have had to hire another teacher, which would have cost about $50,000 for salary and benefits, he said.
The board voted after hearing comments both for and against the proposed change from people attending the meeting, Remmers said. Board member Dennis McManus was the dissenting vote. Board members Lorrie Alsaker, Jeff Guest, Stan Claussen, Bill McGeary and Al Pagel voted for keeping the kindergarten program as is. Board member Cindy Regan was absent.
For most of this school year, the board has discussed whether to have all-day, everyday kindergarten.
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In other business, the board learned the district will receive $78,000 from a Microsoft settlement.
Minnesota schools are sharing $55 million left over from a settlement to a class-action lawsuit in which Minnesota customers and businesses claimed the company was violating antitrust laws by overcharging for its Windows operation system and its Excel and Word programs, the Associated Press wrote.
The amount each school receives depends on the concentration of poverty in the school district, according to the Associated Press.
The Benson School District will split the $78,000 between hardware and software purchases, Remmers said.
The district has six years to spend it, he said.
