The push for universal pre-K has dominated the early childhood education space, but a less prominent effort has been underway to make kindergarten mandatory. Currently, only 20 states require families to enroll their children in kindergarten, although every state offers the entry-level grade in public schools.
California, Michigan, New Jersey, and Louisiana have recently considered making kindergarten mandatory, with the latter two states passing new laws. However, the future of mandatory kindergarten remains uncertain due to dwindling funds for early childhood education.
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According to Hanna Melnick, director of early learning policy at the Learning Policy Institute, some lawmakers may not even be aware that kindergarten is not mandatory in their state. The purpose of kindergarten has shifted over the years, from a focus on educational play to emphasizing academic work.
Studies have shown that enrolling in kindergarten has long-term benefits, both academically and socially, particularly for lower-income and minority students. Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of Detroit Public Schools Community District, has stated that mandatory kindergarten could decrease student absenteeism and increase student achievement.
Some states, like Florida, do not mandate kindergarten but require students to complete it before enrolling in first grade. Alabama has passed legislation requiring children who did not attend kindergarten to pass a readiness assessment before entering first grade.
Christina Weiland, a professor of education and public policy at the University of Michigan, notes that mandatory kindergarten can help identify whether students have the necessary social-emotional, language, and motor skills for elementary school. She also points out that teachers face more demands when students are placed in first grade without completing kindergarten.
In California, 5% of families do not enroll their children in kindergarten, which translates to around 200,000 kids. A bill to mandate kindergarten was vetoed by Gavin Newsom due to the estimated annual cost of $268 million.
Instead, California has focused on expanding its transitional kindergarten program, which provides public education for 4-year-olds. The program has received an additional $1.8 billion in funding, effectively serving as universal pre-K.
Emma Garcia, a principal researcher at the Learning Policy Institute, argues that the upfront costs of mandatory kindergarten can be a significant barrier, but the long-term benefits to society should not be overlooked.
The political climate currently favors “parental choice,” which can make it challenging to pass regulations mandating participation in school. Sarah Novicoff, a research fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California, notes that requiring a service tends to be less popular than offering one.
In some states, like Washington, D.C., and Boston, universal preschool programs are embedded in public school settings, which could help increase enrollment in kindergarten and subsequent grades.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, school enrollment rates for 5-year-olds are high, but they began dipping post-pandemic, down 6% from 2019 to 2021. Education leaders are concerned about longer-term demographic and birth rate changes that could hurt schools.
Jade Jenkins, an associate professor of education at the University of California Irvine, points out that the fertility cliff and enrollment cliff could lead to significant financial challenges for schools, which are funded based on a per-pupil method of calculation.
In areas like Vermont, Maine, and West Virginia, which have experienced significant enrollment dips, increasing kindergarten enrollment could help schools stay open. Every additional kindergartener helps, and experts believe that expanded pre-K could help place students on the elementary public school track earlier.