State’s Largest School District Adopts All-day Kindergarten

SEATTLE (AP) — The state's largest school district has announced it will accept state dollars for all day kindergarten and offer it free to all children starting in fall 2016.

Seattle Public Schools also made plans to expand preschool options in district schools. Four new schools will have preschool classrooms starting next fall.

The school board voted to expand its early learning programs at a meeting on Wednesday.

Free all-day kindergarten is part of the legislative plan to improve basic education for children across the state. The increase in funding is related to the Washington Supreme Court's 2012 McCleary decision.

Lawmakers have voted to increase the state budget to pay for all-day kindergarten and other programs. By 2018, all-day kindergarten is scheduled to be offered at all public elementary schools in Washington.