VERONA, Wis. -- A new Mandarin Chinese immersion charter school will open this fall in Verona.

The Verona school board voted 4-3 on Monday night to approve the school, making it the first of its kind in the state.

The school will be called the Verona Area International School. It will have two halftime teachers, one who teaches only in English and the other who teaches only in Mandarin. Math, science and some social-science classes would be taught in the Chinese language. Students will spend half the day learning in English and half in Mandarin Chinese.

Teresa Mueller will be on the governance council of the new school when it opens in September. She said in its first year the school will have one class of 22 kindergarten and first-grade students chosen by lottery.

Organizers said that they'll use available space at Stoner Prairie Elementary School in Fitchburg.

The charter for the school will be for two years starting in the fall with kindergarten and first grade.

The school is the third charter school in Verona, WISC-TV reported.

Stay tuned to WISC-TV and Channel 3000 for continuing coverage.