REPORT TITLE:
School Attendance


DESCRIPTION:
Permits the Board of Education to determine the starting age for
children entering kindergarten and the first grade.  (SB1272 HD1)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        1272
THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           S.D. 2
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  Section 302A-411, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 2 amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
 
 3      "(a)  The department shall establish and maintain
 
 4 kindergartens with a program of instruction as a part of the
 
 5 public school system; provided that attendance shall not be
 
 6 mandatory.  No child shall attend any kindergarten unless the
 
 7 child will be at least five years of age [on or before
 
 8 December 31 of the school year; provided that a child attending a
 
 9 school that convenes after the regular school schedule shall be
 
10 five years of age on or before one hundred twenty-five days
 
11 following the date the school convenes; and provided further that
 
12 the] as more specifically determined by the board.  The board
 
13 shall develop informational guidance to promote the understanding
 
14 of a child's readiness for kindergarten."
 
15      SECTION 2.  Section 302A-1131, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
16 amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
 
17      "(a)  Except as authorized by section 302A-411, no child
 
18 shall attend any public school unless the child will be at least
 
19 six years of age [before January 1 of the school year; provided
 
20 that:
 

 
Page 2                                                     1272
                                     S.B. NO.           S.D. 2
                                                        H.D. 1
                                                        

 
 1      (1)  A child attending a school that convenes after the
 
 2           regular school schedule shall be six years of age on or
 
 3           before one hundred twenty-five days following the date
 
 4           the school shall convene; and
 
 5      (2)  The department may establish procedures and criteria to
 
 6           determine the psychological and physiological readiness
 
 7           of children for public school and may grant an
 
 8           exception in the case of a child who is found to be
 
 9           ready.] as more specifically determined by the board."
 
10      SECTION 3.  (a)  No later than July 1, 2000, the board of
 
11 education, with the assistance and cooperation of the department
 
12 of education, shall plan and adopt rules for the starting age of
 
13 children entering kindergarten and the first grade.
 
14      (b)  The board of education shall adopt the rules by July 1,
 
15 2000, and shall implement them beginning in the 2000-2001 school
 
16 year.
 
17      (c)  The board of education shall submit a report to the
 
18 legislature and the governor no later than twenty days prior to
 
19 the convening of the regular session of 2001 on the effectiveness
 
20 of the rules as implemented.
 
21      SECTION 4.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed.
 
22 New statutory material is underscored.
 
23      SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval;
 
24 provided that sections 1 and 2 shall take effect on July 1, 2000.