StateNotes

Kindergarten

Education Commission of the States 700 Broadway, Suite 1200 Denver, CO 80203-3460 303.299.3600 Fax: 303.296.8332 www.ecs.org

 

 

State Statutes Regarding Kindergarten

Compiled by Jessica McMaken

August 2001

 

Last Update August 2003

 

 

KEY:

M = Mandatory

P = Permissive

LEA = Local Education Agency

 

State

Compulsory School Age[1]

 

Kindergarten

Entrance Age[2]

 

District Offering of Kindergarten

Pupil

Attendance

in

Kindergarten

District Offering of Full-Day Kindergarten

Year Full-Day Law Enacted

Pupil Attendance in Full-Day Kindergarten

Alabama

7

5 on or before September 1

M

P

M

1990

P

Alaska[3]

7

5 on or before August 15

P

P

P

 

P

Arizona

6

5 on or before September 1

M

P

P

 

P

Arkansas

5[4]

5 on or before September 15

M

M

M[5]

 

P

California

6

5 on or before December 2

M

P

P[6]

 

P

Colorado

7

LEA Option

P

P

P

 

P

Connecticut

5[7]

5 on or before January 1

M

M

P

 

P

Delaware

5

5 on or before August 31

M

M

P

 

P

Florida

6[8]

5 on or before September 1

M

P

P

 

P

Georgia

6

5 by September 1

M

P

M[9]

1985

P

Hawaii

6

5 on or before December 31

M

P

P

 

P

Idaho

7

5 on or before September 1

P

P

P

 

P

Illinois

7

5 on or before September 1[10]

M

P

P[11]

 

P

Indiana

7

5 on or before July 1

M

P

P

 

P

Iowa

6

5 on or before September 15

M

P

P

 

P

Kansas

7

5 on or before August 31

M

P

P

 

P

Kentucky

6

5 by October 1

M

P

P

 

P

Louisiana

7

5 on or before September 30

M

M

M

1990

M[12]

Maine

7

at least 5 on October 15

M

P

P[13]

 

P

Maryland

5

5 by September 1

M

M[14]

M[15]

2002

P

Massachusetts

6

LEA Option

M

P

P[16]

 

P

Michigan

6

at least 5 on December 1[17]

M[18]

P

P

 

P

Minnesota[19]

7

at least 5 on September 1

M

P

P

 

P

Mississippi

6

5 on or before September 1

M

P

M

 

P

Missouri

7

5 before August 1

M

P

P

 

P

Montana

7

5 on or before September 10

M

P

P

 

P

Nebraska

7

5 on or before October 15

M

P

P

 

P

Nevada

7

5 on or before September 30

M

M[20]

P

 

P

New Hampshire

6

LEA Option

P

P

P

 

P

New Jersey

6

LEA Option

P

P

P

 

P

New Mexico

5

5 before September 1

M

M

P[21]

2000

P

New York

6

LEA Option

P[22]

P

P

 

P

North Carolina

7

5 on or before October 16