What's happening
This bill requires all five-year-olds in New York State to attend kindergarten, with exceptions for certain parental and non-public school situations.
Why it matters
Expands mandatory kindergarten statewide. Previously, only certain cities could require five-year-olds to attend kindergarten; this bill extends that mandate to all New York school districts, potentially affecting thousands of families not previously covered.
Narrows local discretion. School districts will no longer have the choice to opt in or out of mandatory kindergarten for five-year-olds, creating a consistent statewide policy and reducing variability in early childhood education requirements.
Allows limited exceptions. Parents can still choose to delay their child's school entry by one year, and families using non-public schools or homeschooling are exempt, accommodating some parental preference and educational diversity.
May impact school resources and readiness. Universal kindergarten could require districts to expand facilities, hire more teachers, and adjust curriculums, while also ensuring that children have earlier access to structured learning and support services.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Make Kindergarten Mandatory Statewide
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
8 Co-sponsors
1 Multi-sponsor
History
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
96
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 4, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN, BUCHWALD, COOK, GALEF, GOTTFRIED, SIMON, RAIA, JAFFEE, PEOPLES-STOKES -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. BUTLER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring minors who are five years old to attend kindergarten instruction
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph c of subdivision 2 of section 3205 of the education law, as amended by chapter 118 of the laws of 2015, is amended to read as follows:
c. [The board of education of the Syracuse city school district, the board of education of the city school district of the city of New York, the board of education of the city school district of the city of Rochester, the board of education of the city school district of the city of Utica, the board of education of the city school district of the city of Buffalo and the board of education of the city school district of the city of Yonkers are hereby authorized to require minors who are five years of age on or before December first to attend kindergarten instruction. However,] In each school district of the state, minors who are five years of age on or before December first shall attend kindergarten instruction, however, the provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to:
(i) Minors whose parents elect not to enroll their children in school until the following September.
(ii) Students enrolled in non-public schools or in home instruction.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06317-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.