Table 5.3. Types of state and district requirements for kindergarten entrance and attendance, waivers and exemptions for kindergarten entrance, by state: 2018

Compiles and disseminates data on state education reform activities

Publications & Products|Table Library|Staff

State	Compulsory school age	¹	Kindergarten entrance age		State requires district to offer full-day kindergarten program		State requires district to offer half-day kindergarten program		State requires attendance
United States²	†		†		17		28		18

Alabama	6		5 on or before 9/01		Yes		No		No
Alaska	7		5 on or before 9/01		No		No		No
Arizona	6		5 before 9/01		No		Yes		No
Arkansas	5		5 on or before 8/01		Yes		No		Yes
California	6		5 on or before 9/01		No		Yes		No

Colorado	6 on or before 8/01		5 on or before 10/01		No		Yes		No
Connecticut	5		5 on or before 1/01	³	No		Yes		Yes
Delaware	5 on or before 8/31		5 on or before 8/31		Yes		No		Yes
District of Columbia	5 on or before 9/30		5 on or before 9/30		Yes		No		Yes
Florida	6 by 2/01		5 on or before 9/01		No		Yes		No

Georgia	6		5 by 9/01		No		Yes		No
Hawaii	5 on or before 7/31		5 on or before 7/31		Yes		No		Yes
Idaho	7 by first day of school		5 on or before 9/01		No		No		No
Illinois	6 on or before 9/01		5 on or before 9/01		Yes	⁴	Yes	⁴	No
Indiana	7		5 on 8/01		No		Yes		No

Iowa	6 by 9/15	⁵	5 by 9/15		No		Yes		†
Kansas	7		5 on or before 8/31		No		Yes		No
Kentucky	6 by 8/01		5 by 8/01		No		Yes		No
Louisiana	7		5 by 9/30		Yes		No		Yes	⁶
Maine	7		5 on or before 10/15		No		Yes		†

Maryland	5		5 by 9/01		Yes		No		Yes
Massachusetts	6		Local Education Agency (LEA) option		No		Yes		†
Michigan	6 by 12/01		5 by 9/01		No		No		No
Minnesota	7		5 on or before 9/01	⁷	No		No		No
Mississippi	6 on or before 9/01		5 on or before 9/01		Yes		No		†

Missouri	7		5 before 8/01	⁸	No		Yes		No
Montana	7 by the first day of school		5 on or before 9/10		Yes	⁴	Yes	⁴	No
Nebraska	6 by 1/01		5 on or before 7/31		No		Yes		No
Nevada	7		5 on or before 9/30		No		Yes		Yes	⁹
New Hampshire	6		†		No		No		No

New Jersey	6		LEA option	¹⁰	No	¹¹	No		No	¹²
New Mexico	5 by 9/01		5 before 9/01		No		Yes		Yes
New York	6		LEA option	¹³	No	¹⁴	No		No	¹⁵
North Carolina	7		5 on or before 8/31		Yes		No		No	¹⁶
North Dakota	7		5 before 8/01		No		Yes		No

Ohio	6		LEA option	¹⁷	No		Yes		Yes
Oklahoma	5		5 on or before 9/01		Yes		No		Yes
Oregon	6		5 on or before 9/01		No		Yes		No
Pennsylvania	8		LEA option	¹⁸	No		No		No
Rhode Island	6 on or before 9/01		5 on or before 9/01		Yes		No		Yes

South Carolina	5 before 9/01		5 on or before 9/01		Yes		No		Yes
South Dakota	6		5 on or before 9/01		No		Yes		Yes	¹⁹
Tennessee	6		5 on or before 8/15		Yes		No		Yes
Texas	6		5 on or before 9/01		No		Yes		No
Utah	6		5 before 9/02		No		Yes		No

Vermont	6		5	²⁰	No		Yes		No
Virginia	5 on or before 9/30		5 on or before 9/30		No		Yes		Yes
Washington	8		5 on or before 8/31		Yes		No		No
West Virginia	6 prior to 9/01		5 prior to 9/01	²¹	Yes		No		Yes
Wisconsin	6		5 on or before 9/01	²²	No		Yes		Yes	²³
Wyoming	7 on or before 9/15		5 on or before 9/15		No		Yes	²⁴	†

† Not applicable.
¹Specific date at which compulsory age is reached is included only if specified in statute.
²The total reflects the number of "Yes" responses in the column.
³Children must be 5 years of age on or before January 1 of the current school year.
⁴Districts must offer either full-day or half-day kindergarten.
⁵ Children enrolled in preschool programs (4 years of age on or before September 15) are considered to be of compulsory school attendance age.
⁶Or otherwise satisfactorily pass an academic readiness screening upon enrollment in grade 1.
⁷School boards may adopt an early admissions policy.
⁸ Metropolitan districts can establish a policy that a child must be 5 on or before any date between August 1 and October 1.
⁹ Or otherwise be assessed as prepared to enter grade 1.
¹⁰ Districts may admit children aged 4-5, and they must admit children aged 5-6. The cutoff date must be after October 1.
¹¹The Abbott districts are required to offer full-day kindergarten.
¹²Children are required to attend full-day kindergarten in the Abbott districts.
¹³Students must be between the ages of 4-6.
¹⁴Districts are required to offer full-day kindergarten in Syracuse, New York City, Rochester, Utica, Buffalo, Cohoes, Watervliet, and Yonkers school districts.
¹⁵ Children are required to attend full-day kindergarten in Syracuse, New York City, Rochester, Utica, Buffalo, Cohoes, Watervliet, and Yonkers school districts.
¹⁶The initial entry point into school is kindergarten, but a principal may override this for an exceptionally mature student and place the child in grade 1.
¹⁷ Districts may adopt a resolution establishing August 1 instead of September 30 as the required date by which students must have attained the specified age.
¹⁸ Students must be between the age of 4 and 6. Minimum age for kindergarten entrance is 4 years 7 months before the first day of the school year.
¹⁹ All children must attend kindergarten before age 7.
²⁰ LEA may require students admitted to kindergarten to attain the age of 5 on or before August 31 and January 1.
²¹ In the 2018–19 school year districts must offer prekindergarten to all children who are age 4 before July 1.
²² Kindergarten entrance age is 5 on or before September 1 for 5-year-old kindergarten, or age 4 on or before September 1 for 4-year-old kindergarten.
²³ Children must attend in districts that offer kindergarten.
²⁴ School districts must establish and maintain relationships with a district that offers one full-day kindergarten.
SOURCE: Education Commission of the States, 50-State Comparison: State Kindergarten Through Third Grade Policies, retrieved June 6, 2018 from https://www.ecs.org/kindergarten-policies/. Data Source.

Data Tables