Reynolds Area School Board's academic affairs committee will look into a concept called looping, as well as establishing a prekindergarten classroom for next year.

Looping keeps children with the same teacher from kindergarten through first grade, and possibly second grade, Superintendent Dr. Anthony Trosan told the school board Wednesday. Greenville schools use looping, he said.

School Director Elizabeth Schuffert, who chairs the academic affairs committee, said Cheryl Moore, the mother of a kindergarten student, has been working with the committee on looping. Mrs. Schuffert said Mrs. Moore "did a lot of homework" about the concept.

Trosan said the board has to weigh the pros and cons of the idea, but it's too late for looping to be implemented for next year.

In a related matter, Mrs. Schuffert said the committee is working on starting a pre-kindergarten classroom for next year. The class would be for students who have reached kindergarten age but need extra help. Kindergartners' skills would be evaluated before placing them in the class, Trosan said.

Trosan said students who have not attended a preschool or Head Start program could benefit from prekindergarten.