Bill Text: NJ A4077 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires full-day kindergarten in all school districts; establishes uniform age requirement for kindergarten enrollment; reduces compulsory age of school attendance.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-06-04 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee [A4077 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-A4077-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman MILA M. JASEY
District 27 (Essex and Morris)
SYNOPSIS
Requires full-day kindergarten in all school districts; establishes uniform age requirement for kindergarten enrollment; reduces compulsory age of school attendance.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning kindergarten programs and compulsory attendance and amending various parts of the statutory law.
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:
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:38-25 is amended to read as follows:
Every parent, guardian or other person having custody and control of a child between the ages of [six] five and 16 years shall cause such child regularly to attend the public schools of the district or a day school in which there is given instruction equivalent to that provided in the public schools for children of similar grades and attainments or to receive equivalent instruction elsewhere than at school.
The provisions of this section shall be applicable to a child who attains the age of five by October 1 of the school year.
(cf: N.J.S.18:38-25)
3. N.J.S.18A:38-27 is amended to read as follows:
Any child between the ages of [six] five and 16 years who shall repeatedly be absent from school, and any child of such age found away from school during school hours whose parent, guardian or other person having charge and control of the child is unable to cause him to attend school and any pupil who is incorrigible, actually vagrant, vicious, or immoral in conduct, shall be deemed to be a juvenile delinquent and shall be proceeded against as such.
The provisions of this section shall be applicable to a child who attains the age of five by October 1 of the school year.
(cf: N.J.S.18A:38-27)
4. N.J.S.18A:38-28 is amended to read as follows:
Any attendance officer who shall find any child between [six] five and 16 years of age who is a truant from school, shall take the child and deliver him to the parent, guardian or other person having charge and control of the child, or to the teacher of the school which such child is lawfully required to attend.
The provisions of this section shall be applicable to a child who attains the age of five by October 1 of the school year.
(cf: N.J.S.18:38-28)
5. N.J.S.18A:38-31 is amended to read as follows:
A parent, guardian or other person having charge and control of a child between the ages of [6] five and 16 years, who shall fail to comply with any of the provisions of this article relating to his duties, shall be deemed to be a disorderly person and shall be subject to a fine of not more than $25.00 for a first offense and not more than $100.00 for each subsequent offense, in the discretion of the court.
In any such proceeding, the summons issuing therein, or in special circumstances a warrant, shall be directed to the alleged disorderly person and the child.
The provisions of this section shall be applicable to a child who attains the age of five by October 1 of the school year.
(cf: P.L.1980, c.153, s.1)
6. 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)
7. 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.
The bill also reduces the age of compulsory school attendance. Under current law, children between the ages of six and 16 are required to attend school. The bill provides that a child would be required to attend school if the child has attained the age of five by October 1 of the school year.
