PHOENIXVILLE — In another move to challenge local charter schools for students, the Phoenixville Area School Board approved adding a full-day kindergarten program to the district for the next school year.

The all-day program, which will be held at the district’s Kindergarten Center starting in the 2013-14 academic year, was approved 7-1 at the Jan. 17 school board meeting.

“I think it’s very important to offer what our constituents need and, particularly, what our little constituents need,” said Jan Potts, the school board’s vice president. “That’s the option of a full-day kindergarten and I would much rather see our students being taught in-house than out of the school district.”