Proposal would move kindergarten cutoff

By: The Associated Press

The Messenger 01.25.08

NASHVILLE (AP) — State lawmakers are evaluating a proposal to change to cutoff date for children to be eligible for kindergarten.
The proposal would require children to be 5 years old before Sept. 1 to qualify for kindergarten, up from the current Sept. 30 cutoff.
The proposal is sponsored by Rep. David Hawk, a Greeneville Republican. He says that moving up the date would help children adjust to the social and intellectual challenges of school.
The Sept. 1 date is a change from Hawk’s previous proposal to move the cutoff date to July 1.
State education officials had worried that that change would leave out too many children whose parents had expected to send them to school this year.
A subcommittee of the House Education Committee on Tuesday approved the change and plans to vote on the full measure in two weeks.
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Read the full text of HB0208 on the Legislature’s Web site at: http://www.legislature.state.tn.us

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