Kindergarten Frequently Asked Questions

1. At what age are children required to attend school in California?
2. Must children attend kindergarten?
3. Must districts offer kindergarten?
4. What is the minimum age for admittance to kindergarten in California?
5. May a child whose fifth birthday falls after December 2 of the school year be admitted to kindergarten once the child has reached his or her fifth birthday?
6. Are there immunization requirements for school entry?
7. How long is the kindergarten school day?
8. Do the subject-matter standards apply to kindergarten?
9. What are the eligibility criteria for kindergarten enrollment?
10. Is there a parental permission form to continue a student in kindergarten?
11. Do parents have the right to hold back their child in kindergarten even if the child has met the school’s criteria, and does the school have to agree?
12. I am a parent of a kindergartener, and my child’s teacher has suggested retention. What are my rights as a parent?
13. Is the absolute maximum for retention in kindergarten one additional year?

1. At what age are children required to attend school in California?
   In California children between six and eighteen years of age are subject to compulsory full-time education (Education Code [EC] Section 48200).
   
   
2. Must children attend kindergarten?
   Parents and guardians are currently not required to enroll children in kindergarten (EC Section 48200).
   
   
3. Must districts offer kindergarten?
   Each elementary or unified school district must offer kindergarten classes for all children eligible to attend. Once enrolled, children in kindergarten must attend on the same basis as children ages six through eighteen.
   
   
4. What is the minimum age for admittance to kindergarten in California?
   To be admitted to kindergarten, a child must reach the age of five on or before December 2 of the current school year (EC 48000[a]).
   
   
5. May a child whose fifth birthday falls after December 2 of the school year be admitted to kindergarten once the child has reached his or her fifth birthday?
   Although rarely used, on a case-by-case basis, a district may admit a child who has attained the age of five years (EC 48000[b]).
   
   
6. Are there immunization requirements for school entry?
   California law requires each child to have a health examination report for school entry. This report consists of a health examination and an up-to-date immunization record. The Report of Health Examination for School Entry must be completed by a health examiner. The Report of Health Examination form can be found on the California Department of Health Care Services, School Entry Health Exam Requirement (Outside Source), Web page.
   
   
7. How long is the kindergarten school day?
   By statute, the maximum school day in kindergarten is four hours (EC 46110). An exception to this statute allows schools that have adopted an early primary program (extended-day kindergarten) to exceed four hours (EC 8973).
   
   
8. Do the subject-matter standards apply to kindergarten?
   California's content standards, which are designed to encourage the highest achievement of every student by defining the knowledge, concepts, and skills that students should acquire at each grade level, are available for the core subjects at all grade levels, including kindergarten. See the State Board-adopted content standards on the California Department of Education's Web site.
   
   
9. What are the eligibility criteria for kindergarten enrollment?
   Eligibility for kindergarten is on the basis of age only. Once a child has entered kindergarten, some districts or schools may administer tests to determine a child’s readiness for specific aspects of the curriculum. The only state-adopted test used at the kindergarten level is the California English Language Development Test (also known as the CELDT), administered to students whose primary language is other than English.
   
   
10. Is there a parental permission form to continue a student in kindergarten?
    A sample form, in English and Spanish, is available. Parents must sign this form to verify that they agree to have their child continue in kindergarten for one additional year.
    
    Kindergarten Continuance Form (English) (PDF; 13KB; 2pp.)
    Available Translations of the Kindergarten Continuance Form
    The Kindergarten Continuance Form is used by school Districts to verify that parents agree to have their child continue in kindergarten for one additional year.
    
    
11. Do parents have the right to hold back their child in kindergarten even if the child has met the school's criteria, and does the school have to agree?
    Under EC sections 48010 and 48011, a child who has been admitted to kindergarten in a private or public school in California or any other state and who has completed one year in that school shall be admitted to the first grade of an elementary school unless the parent or guardian and the school agree that the child should continue in kindergarten (for not more than an additional school year).
    
    
12. I am a parent of a kindergartener, and my child’s teacher has suggested retention. What are my rights as a parent?
    School districts may not retain a child in kindergarten without the consent of a parent or guardian. Parents are not required to sign a consent form if they do not agree that the child should repeat kindergarten.
    
    
13. Is the absolute maximum for retention in kindergarten one additional year?
    Yes. According to EC Section 48011, a child may not continue in kindergarten for more than one year past the year he or she first attended kindergarten.

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