SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California is one step closer to mandating that children attend kindergarten, a requirement that would come after droves of the state's youngest students skipped the grade during the COVID-19 pandemic and heightened learning gap concerns.
A bill approved by the state Senate late Monday night is headed to the governor's desk and, if signed, would require children to complete a year of kindergarten before entering first grade, beginning in the 2024-25 school year.
Like most states, California does not require kindergarten as part of its compulsory education laws. California children who are 5 years old are eligible for kindergarten, but are not required by law to attend school until they are 6 years old.
