Changes Coming to Kindergarten and First-Grade Age Requirements

Changes to the minimum admission ages of kindergarten and first-grade students will be coming after Scotts Valley school trustees approved an update to a board policy on the issue on Tuesday night.

The changes, which will be phased in over a three year period beginning with the 2012-13 school year, came about as the result of a bill authored by Sen. Joe Simitian that passed in October 2010. “The Kindergarten Readiness Act,” or SB 1381, moves the state’s admission date for kindergarten and first grade from December to September.

The Scotts Valley Unified School District issued the following guidelines for parents:

A child shall be admitted to kindergarten

• In 2012-13 if the child’s fifth birthday is on or before Nov. 1, 2012
• In 2013-14 if the child’s fifth birthday is on or before Oct. 1, 2013
• In 2014-15 and subsequent years if the child’s fifth birthday is on or before September 1 of that year

A child shall be admitted to first grade

• In 2012-13 if the child’s sixth birthday is on or before November 1, 2012
• In 2013-14 if the child’s sixth birthday is on or before October 1, 2013
• In 2014-15 and subsequent years if the child’s sixth birthday is on or before September 1 of that year

A child may be admitted to first grade before the above listed dates if the child has successfully completed a full year of kindergarten in a public or private school and is deemed ready for first grade.

The new law also requires that the district establish a Transitional Kindergarten program for children whose admission is delayed as a result of the new age requirements.

“At this time, the governor’s budget projects the elimination of funding for transitional kindergarten leaving school districts without clear direction from the state. For children whose birthdates fall between Nov. 2 and Dec. 2, parents/guardians should come into the school office and fill out a Transitional Kindergarten Contact Information form. Parents will be contacted as soon as we know whether or not the Transitional Kindergarten program will be offered,” the district said.