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May 29, 2008

House backs bill allowing flexible kindergarten entry age

PROVIDENCE -- The House has approved a bill that would let school departments decide whether to admit a child who turns 5 between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31 into kindergarten.

The bill would permit individual school districts to create policies for allowing students who have not met the minimum age requirement to attend kindergarten -- if space is available and it's determined that it would be in the best interests of the child to be enrolled in school.

The current law holds that children must be 5 by Sept. 1 of any school year if they are to enroll in kindergarten. In 2002, the General Assembly changed the date of enrollment eligibility date from Dec. 31 to Sept. 1.

“I’ve heard concerns from many constituents whose children are more than prepared for kindergarten but have missed the Sept. 1 deadline by weeks or even days. Then the child has to wait an entire year before being enrolled in school,” bill sponsor Stephen R. Ucci, D-Johnston, said in the statement. "This puts those children who are ready for school at age 4 at a disadvantage.”

It's the second year Ucci introduced legislation to relax kindergarten entrance age requirements. The bill won House approval last year but died in the Senate.

The legislation has been referred to the Senate Education Committee.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney  at 5:16 PM | Permalink

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