Mattapoisett School Committee members voted to approve a full-day kindergarten program on Monday that will allow students to attend tuition-free.

The program currently has a free half-day program and a full-day program at a cost of $1,800.

For the next school year, 57 students are registered for kindergarten, with only five in the half-day program.

With the new program, the midday bus that takes half-day students home would be eliminated at a savings of $27,000. A part-time teaching position would also be cut.

Next year, the kindergarteners would be divided into three classes of 19 with one full-time teacher per class.

By moving to the new program, the town will see an extra $10,000 in support from the state this coming school year. The following year, that number will increase as the town is reimbursed for each student in the program at a total of approximately $285,000.

Committee member Grace Knox said, “I want to assure parents that they can do a half day. Parents can pick up their children at noon if they desire.”

The kindergarten program, which is not mandatory, does allow students to attend for a partial day.