Bill Text: NJ A3865 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Requires full-day kindergarten in all school districts and establishes uniform age requirement for enrollment in kindergarten.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-05-07 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee [A3865 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2018-A3865-Introduced.html

ASSEMBLY, No. 3865

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

218th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED MAY 7, 2018

 


 

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman TIM EUSTACE

District 38 (Bergen and Passaic)

Assemblywoman  MILA M. JASEY

District 27 (Essex and Morris)

Assemblyman  REED GUSCIORA

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Requires full-day kindergarten in all school districts and establishes uniform age requirement for enrollment in kindergarten.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

  


An Act concerning kindergarten programs in public schools and amending N.J.S.18A:38-5 and N.J.S.18A:44-2.

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    N.J.S.18A:38-5 is amended to read as follows:

     18A:38-5.   No child [under] attaining the age of five years after October 1 of that school year shall be admitted to any public school, except such as may be provided pursuant to law for children of his age.

     No board of education shall be required to accept by transfer from public or private school any pupil who was not eligible by reason of age for admission on October 1 of that school year [, but the board may in its discretion admit any  such pupil if he or she meets such entrance requirements as may be established  by rules or regulations of the board].

(cf: N.J.S.18A:38-5)

 

     2.    N.J.S.18A:44-2 is amended to read as follows:

     18A:44-2.   a.   The board of education of [any] a district [may] shall establish a kindergarten school or kindergarten department, which in order to receive State aid shall be a one-year program in advance of or in preparation for entrance to first grade, in any school under its control, and [may admit to such kindergarten school or department any child over the age of four and under the age of five and] shall admit to such kindergarten school or department any child over the age of five and under the age of six years as of October 1 of that school year who is a resident of the district.

     b.    A kindergarten school or kindergarten department established by a board of education shall provide a full-day kindergarten program.  A district classified in district factor groups A, B, CD, or DE that is not providing a full-day kindergarten program prior to the effective date of P.L.    , c.   (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall provide a full-day kindergarten program no later than the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year.  Any other district that is not providing a full-day kindergarten program prior to the effective date of P.L.    , c.   (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall provide a full-day kindergarten program no later than the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year.

(cf: P.L.1996, c.138, s.72)

 

     3.    This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

 

     This bill requires all school districts to provide full-day kindergarten programs for their students.  If a school district does not currently provide a full-day kindergarten program, and is classified in district factor groups A, B, CD, or DE, then the district would be required to begin offering such a program by the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year.  All other school districts would be required to provide such a program by the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year.

     The bill also establishes a uniform age requirement for a student to enroll in kindergarten.  Under current law, each school district determines the date by which a child must attain the age of five years in order to enroll in kindergarten.  Under the bill, a child would have to be five years old by October 1 of the school year in order to enroll in kindergarten.

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