When the Bethlehem Area School District's Curriculum Committee met recently, the big question was whether or not full-day kindergarten would be available in all district elementary schools next year.

Currently, the school district has 24 kindergarten classes throughout its 16 elementary schools. Parents were invited to take the survey asking for input about kindergarten, which was accessible on the elementary school websites.

"I think everyone is waiting for this," said Shannon Patrick, vice president of the school board. "The buzz is out there."

By early November, the district had received more than 500 responses, Assistant Superintendent Jack Silva told the committee.

"That is almost unheard of," he said.

Silva said the purpose of full-day kindergarten it to help students who are at the highest risk for poor performance. This means adding at least one class to all schools that don't have it and adding more classes to those that do have one. About 10 teaching positions would have to be added, he said, as well as specialist teachers for art, music for example.

"Having full-day kindergarten is an investment in getting children ready for upper grades by increasing literacy," he said.

The problem is paying for it.

"Unless the pie gets bigger, something else would have to be cut," Silva said.

Decisions regarding full-day kindergarten have to be made in January, Superintendent Dr. Joseph Roy said. Charter schools begin enrollment around February.

Silva said there is competition for those 5-year-olds.

"Many times we lose a student just because we weren't ready to enroll," he said.

Patrick said expanding the kindergarten program would help with the problem.

"This is the elephant in the room," she said. "It brings students back into district classrooms that would be lost to charter schools."