The Lawrence school district could have a full-day kindergarten program in place by fall, Supt. Randy Weseman said Wednesday.

“The will is there : it’s just a question of finding the dollars,” Weseman said during an online chat Wednesday on the Journal-World’s Web site.

Weseman received several questions during the chat about providing full-day kindergarten in Lawrence from parents seeking it for their children.

Weseman told readers the district’s staff is preparing a plan for full-day kindergarten that will be presented to the Lawrence school board.

“We will offer several scenarios, one of which will be a fee-based program,” Weseman said. “Excluding facilities, it would cost around $1.2 million to implement it districtwide. Expensive : but worth it. The research is specific on benefits received versus dollars invested.”

Weseman wrote that a plan, if approved before May, could be put in place for the next academic year.

After the chat, Weseman said the district had been working on a plan for full-day kindergarten for several years.

“We had to cut it about four years ago. We had a limited program,” he said. “We’re going to continue to move the plan forward and see what emerges from Topeka in terms of (state) funding. That will tell the tale.”

Weseman said the school board had been warm to the idea of full-day kindergarten across the district, but a lack of funding has been the issue.