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Beyond the Byline: This picture is worth a million memories

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Mad Hatter a hit with children at Wyoming Valley Mall

HANOVER TWP. &#8212; Hanover Area Superintendent Andrew Kuhl announced at Thursday&#8217;s school board meeting that a new Pre-K program will be offered at the former Lyndwood Elementary School.The district has teamed up with the Luzerne Intermediate Unit to provide the program, which is made possible through a &#8220;Pre-K Counts&#8221; state grant and is free for qualifying families.&#8220;That&#8217;s the one area that the state has funded fully and is expanding in funding,&#8221; said Kuhl.So far, approximately 36 children are enrolled in the program.&#8220;That&#8217;s 36 3- and 4-year-olds that wouldn&#8217;t have had the opportunity to attend Pre-K,&#8221; Kuhl pointed out.Kuhl also announced that the junior-senior high school has 15 students who are participating in the dual enrollment program, which allows students to fit college classes into their schedule.&#8220;The great part is that most of these students are not traditional, college-bound students,&#8221; said Kuhl.&#8220;They are middle-level achievers who gain college credit here.&#8221;Kuhl went on to say that statistics show that 90 percent of high school students who take part in the dual enrollment program continue their post-secondary education.Kuhl countered the positive news with worries about the lack of a state budget.&#8220;I&#8217;m losing sleep at night,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Of the school districts across the state, 146 of them indicated they are within weeks of closing their doors.&#8220;It&#8217;s here, and it&#8217;s upon us. The call to action is now.&#8221;The board voted 7-0 to authorize Kuhl, as well as the district&#8217;s business administrator and solicitor, to take all the steps necessary in response to the state&#8217;s budget impasse. Board member Stacy McGovern was absent.Kuhl added that a meeting for parents who wish to address the situation will be held at 6:30 p.m. on March 21 in the auditorium.In other business, the board recognized Michaela Halesey as the February Student of the Month. Halesey plans to pursue a career in elementary education.&#8220;My Uncle Pete and I shared more than a sweet tooth, but a passion to help others,&#8221; she said of former board member Peter Halesey, who passed away in January.<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Camille FiotiFor Times Leader</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach the Times Leader newsroom at 570-829-7242 or on Twitter @TLnews.</shirttailMeta></div>

Hanover Area offering free Pre-K program