After weeks of protesting, Sachem is close to keeping its kindergarten program from the chopping block.

The district said at a meeting Tuesday night that the program will not be cut to a half-day. The state sent about $350,000 in additional aid, bringing the total saved to around $650,000.The district says the rest of the $1.2 million needed to save full-day kindergarten will come from various grants.

The Sachem School Board had suggested cutting kindergarten to half-day because the proposed budget was rejected last month. The district says the state will only send aid if the new 3.14 percent budget proposal is approved on June 18.

If voters reject that budget, the district will be forced to make major cuts, including kindergarten.