CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 1153

Introduced by Senator Rubio

February 20, 2020

An act to amend Section 48010 of, and to add Section 48001 to, the Education Code, relating to kindergarten.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 1153, as introduced, Rubio. Elementary education: kindergarten.
Under existing law, a person between the ages of 6 and 18 years who is not exempted by law is subject to compulsory full-time education. Existing law excludes a child under 6 years of age from the public schools, subject to specified exceptions.
Existing law requires a school district maintaining a kindergarten to admit a child who will have their 5th birthday on or before September 1 of the school year. Existing law also requires that a child who will have their 6th birthday on or before September 1 of the school year to be admitted to the first grade of an elementary school.
This bill, beginning with the 2021–22 school year, would require a child to have completed one year of kindergarten before that child may be admitted to the first grade, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: YES  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 48001 is added to the Education Code, to read:

48001.
 Beginning with the 2021–22 school year, a child shall have completed one year of kindergarten before that child may be admitted to the first grade.

SEC. 2.

 Section 48010 of the Education Code is amended to read:

48010.
 (a) A child shall be admitted to the first grade of an elementary school during the first month of a school year if the child has completed one year of kindergarten and will have his or her their sixth birthday on or before one of the following dates:
(1) December 2 of the 2011–12 school year.
(2) November 1 of the 2012–13 school year.
(3) October 1 of the 2013–14 school year.
(4) September 1 of the 2014–15 school year and each school year thereafter.
(b) For good cause, the governing board of a school district may permit a child of proper age to be admitted to a class after the first school month of the school term.

SEC. 3.

  If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.