Policy #7120 – Age of Entrance

Kindergarten

To be admitted to kindergarten in the school district, a child must be a legal resident of the school district and be five years of age on or before December 1st of the school year in which the student is enrolled. Proof of age must be presented in the form of a birth certificate, baptismal certificate, passport, or other satisfactory evidence at the time of initial registration. The child shall be registered under his/her legal name.

A child who has completed a year in a kindergarten program substantially equivalent to that in Niskayuna, and who will be six years of age during the entering school year, shall tentatively be assigned to the first grade. A younger child shall tentatively be assigned to kindergarten.

For students first entering school during the year in which the child becomes six years of age prior to December 2, tentative placement in kindergarten or grade 1 shall be determined by the building principal and shall be based upon the extent to which the program can address the developmental needs of the child as determined by observation, parent interviews and information derived from other age-appropriate assessments. Admission of children to other grades shall involve a consideration of both chronological age and the readiness of the child to do the work of those grades.

In cases of tentative placement, the building principal shall evaluate the placement of children during the early months of the school year, confer with the parents, and adjust the placement as appropriate.

The Board of Education authorizes the Superintendent of Schools to establish the rules, regulations and procedures necessary to implement and maintain this policy.

Education Law Sections 1712, 3202 and 321

Note: Refer also to Policy #7131 – Education of Homeless Children and Youth

Adoption Date: Oct. 1, 2019