Early entry to kindergarten ends; September 1 birthday cutoff applies

What happened

The School Committee voted unanimously to eliminate the Early Entry to Kindergarten Policy 2513. The assistant superintendent explained that removing it aligns the district with Rhode Island law, so a child's eligibility for kindergarten now follows the state's September 1 birthday cutoff rather than a district exception. The committee had held the vote over from June 3 specifically to allow a second reading and public feedback.

Why it matters to families

Parents of children born just after September 1 can no longer ask the district to start them early, so some families will wait a full extra year before their child begins kindergarten.

The evidence

The June 17, 2026 approved minutes record the unanimous vote to approve the elimination of Early Entry to Kindergarten Policy 2513. The June 3, 2026 minutes in the same collected record explain the alignment to the September 1 state eligibility date and the decision to hold the vote for a second reading.

The source