Bill would raise kindergarten age to five

A bill proposed by state Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palos Alto) would require that students entering kindergraten turn five by Sept. 1 of their first school year. The new bill, which lawmakers say would save California nearly $700 million annually, would be phased in over three years starting in 2012.

Currently, any child who turns five before Dec. 2 can enter kindergarten.

The bill, SB 1381, has been passed by the senate and will now move on to the state assembly. It has been opposed by the California Teacherrs Association, and teachers have voiced concerns about how the potential savings would be spent.

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

As currently written, the bill would require half the money saved by the state to be spent on preschool programs to serve disadvantaged children. Simitian would use the other half to help cover state budget shortfalls.

Some teachers said they want to see the money saved put into funding K-12 programs to make up for income lost to schools based on the lower enrollment.

But the measure's supporters say the gradual implementation of the law would help ease budget concerns and allow the state and schools to plan for the change.

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Almost every other state in the country requires a September birthday cutoff, perhaps giving them a competitive academic edge. Simitian's bill would put California in line with those states eventually. His bill would phase in over three years, moving the eligibility date up a month each fall starting in 2012, until it becomes Sept. 1.

Many parents already voluntarily keep their children with summer or fall birthdays out of kindergarten for a year. It's more often a choice made by families with the financial resources to cover child care or preschool for the extra year.

On the other hand, low-income families - those whose children are more likely to struggle in school and on standardized tests - often can't afford the extra year of child care and aren't allowed to stay in public preschool programs.

The federal Head Start program, for example, pushes students into kindergarten when they are old enough, whether they are academically or developmentally ready to go.