Bill > A00323

This bill amends education law to lower the compulsory age for full-time instruction from six years old to five years old, meaning children must start attending school at age five, with some flexibility for admission dates set by local school districts. It also removes a previous provision that allowed school districts to require five-year-olds to attend kindergarten and instead mandates that school districts, including city school districts, must maintain kindergartens that are free to resident children between the ages of four and six, though a higher minimum age for admission can still be set. The bill also makes conforming changes related to the compulsory attendance age for Native American children, ensuring they are also subject to the new five-year-old starting age.