The Newport Independent Schools is reminding the community that beginning with the 2017-18 school year, the State of Kentucky has moved the kindergarten entry age to August 1.
Previously, the cutoff date was October 1.
According to a statement from the Kentucky Department of Education, the state General Assembly changed the law in 2012 based on the premise that younger students may not be ready for kindergarten and may not get off to a successful start. While the law was enacted five years ago, it takes effect next school year.
“Per new Kentucky legislation beginning the 2017-18 school year, a child can now enroll in kindergarten if they are 5 years old by Aug. 1 of that school year rather than having to be five years old prior to Oct. 1 as in years past,” said Kevin McCormick, Director of Student Services for the Newport Independent Schools.
“While this move up in the age requirement will slightly impact our enrollment for the first year, the intention of the legislation is to raise the level of kindergarten readiness to improve the overall instruction for the incoming class.”
Newport Independent Schools
