May 19, 2006
House Bill 623: Early Education
Author:
House Education Committee
Summary:
Repeals existing law that provided that it shall not be compulsory for individual school districts to establish a kindergarten program; and that it not be mandatory for a child who is eligible age for attendance to enroll in an established public kindergarten.
Status:
| 02/09/2006 |  | House introduced; first reading; to printing |
| 01/10/2006 | | Reported to Education |
| 04/12/2006 | | Bill died |
HSLDA's Position:
Oppose.
Action Requested:
No action requested at this time.
Background:
While the bill purports to make these programs optional, history shows us that there will be subsequent pressure to make them mandatory, universal, and funded with taxpayer dollars.
Many education experts have concluded that beginning a child's formal education too early may actually result in burnout and poor scholastic performance later.
Lowering the compulsory attendance age erodes the authority of parents who are in the best position to determine when their child's formal education should begin.
Another significant impact of expanding the compulsory attendance age would be an inevitable tax increase to pay for more classroom space and teachers to accommodate the additional students compelled to attend public schools. When California raised the age of compulsory attendance, unwilling students were so disruptive that new schools had to be built just to handle them and their behavior problems, all at the expense of the taxpayer.
For more information on compulsory attendance, please see our
memorandum "Mandatory Kindergarten Is Unnecessary."
 Other Resources
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Bill Text
Bill History
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