BILL NO A05785
SAME AS No same as
SPONSOR Paulin (MS)
COSPNSR Jaffee, Pretlow, Zebrowski, Ramos, Steck, Roberts, Clark, Hevesi,
Rivera, Scarborough, Sepulveda, Cook, Kellner, Mayer, Galef, Abinanti
MLTSPNSR Ceretto, Farrell, Gottfried, Heastie, Millman
Amd SS1712, 2514, 2555, & 3602, Ed L
Requires kindergartens to operate full day programs.
BILL NUMBER:A5785
TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the education law, in relation to full
day kindergarten
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: To require school districts to offer
full-day kindergarten.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: Sections one through three amend
sections 1712, 2514 and 2555 of the education law to provide that each
school district shall maintain kindergartens and that beginning in the
201546 school year, all kindergartens shall be operated on a full-time
basis.
Section four amends subdivision 9 of section 3602 of the education
law, pertaining to aid for conversion to full day kindergarten, to
provide that commencing with the 2015-16 school year, all school
districts shall make full-day kindergarten programs available to all
children.
Section five provides the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION: New York has long recognized the importance of early
education, and the need for all children to have access to
kindergarten instruction. All of New York State's nearly 700 school
districts offer kindergarten programs, though about 20 are half-day
only. Kindergarten is now mandatory in New York City, Rochester and
Syracuse.
Unfortunately, school districts facing budget cuts have threatened to
eliminate kindergarten completely or reduce instruction to half-day
only. Amending the law to require districts to offer full-day
kindergarten is the only way to guarantee that kindergarten is
protected. We must ensure that each and every child in New York will
have the important benefits of full-day kindergarten.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: This is a new bill
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE: The first of July next succeeding the date on which
the bill shall have become a law.
