On Wednesday CBS5 (via The Associated Press) reported that the California Legislature approved a bill Tuesday that would require children to reach their fifth birthday by Sept. 1 to enroll in kindergarten. The current cut-off date is Dec. 2.
The state Department of Education says 100,000 of 430,000 California kindergartners start school before their fifth birthday. The bill by state Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, would save the state $700 million.
The bill, SB1381, passed 21-15 and now heads to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has until Sept. 30 to act on it.
Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, D-Santa Monica, who presented the bill,
told the San Francisco Chronicle:
“There are not very many families in today’s economy that can hold their kids outside of school. We’re just trying to provide a kindergarten program that’s going to really work for these young people. This will make children much more successful.”