Committee holds bill to lower kindergarten entry from 5 to 4 amid funding, readiness and capacity concerns
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Summary
Bill 36-0069 — which would change compulsory kindergarten entry from age 5 to age 4 — was held after testimony from the Board of Education, Department of Education, Department of Human Services and Department of Health warned the change could jeopardize Head Start federal funding, strain teacher capacity, and conflict with existing pre‑K statutes.
The Committee on Education and Workforce Development on Wednesday held Bill 36-0069, which would amend Title 17 to change the compulsory kindergarten entry age from 5 to 4 years old. The hearing brought detailed testimony from education officials, the Department of Human Services (which administers Head Start), and the Department of Health.
Sponsor Senator Alma Francis Heiliger framed the bill as an effort to prepare children earlier for school and to close achievement gaps by placing more students in formal early‑learning environments. “I want our VI children to be at the top,” the sponsor said, asking the committee to consider earlier and broader access to structured early education.
The Virgin Islands Board of Education strongly opposed the bill as drafted. Abigail Hendricks Kagan urged strengthening existing pre‑K programs rather than mandating kindergarten at age 4, noting statutory frameworks that already assign early‑childhood regulation to the commissioner. “We advocate for strengthening pre‑kindergarten and Head Start rather than mandating kindergarten at age 4,” Hendricks Kagan said.
Dr. Dion Wells Hendrington, commissioner of education, testified that while earlier starts are possible for some children, changing the mandatory start age would conflict with the territory’s public pre‑K framework, strain aging school facilities, and require hiring many additional early‑childhood‑certified teachers. The department cited research showing mixed long‑term benefits: younger entrants can show early literacy gains but older entrants often gain in self‑regulation and sustained academic growth.
Department of Human Services Assistant Commissioner Carla Benjamin underscored an immediate funding risk: Head Start funding is tied to funded enrollment. “As of this month, the Virgin Islands’ Head Start program is operating at 91.9% of its funded enrollment of 637 children, with 586 currently enrolled. Of that number, 53.4% are 4‑year‑olds,” Benjamin said, explaining that if many 4‑year‑olds move into public kindergarten, Head Start would lose enrollment and federal grant funding. Benjamin also outlined five Head Start construction projects nearing completion and warned those purpose‑built facilities were designed for 3‑ to 5‑year‑olds under the Head Start model.
Department of Health witnesses noted developmental and public‑health factors. Assistant Commissioner Dr. Nicole Craigwell Sims said most 5‑year‑olds have completed early immunizations and have greater stamina and motor control than many 4‑year‑olds. “Pre‑K and Head Start programs are specifically designed to meet the developmental needs of 4‑year‑olds,” she said, citing play‑based learning and wraparound health services.
Superintendents and principals described operational constraints: spotty enrollment practices across districts, difficulty staffing certified early‑childhood teachers, and vacancy counts (four early‑childhood vacancies in the St. Thomas–St. John District and seven in the St. Croix District reported to the committee). Representatives also said many granny pre‑K (territorial pre‑K) classrooms show students struggling to meet transition expectations at the end of a pre‑K year, reinforcing officials’ view that a territorywide mandate would be premature without expanded capacity and funding.
After discussion, Senator Dwayne M. DeGraff moved that Bill 36-0069 “be held in this committee at the call of the chair.” Senator Carla J. Joseph seconded the motion. The roll call recorded seven yeas and no nays; the motion passed and the bill was held for further work.
Committee members and agency witnesses recommended several next steps: (1) pursue a coordinated planning effort among the Department of Education, Department of Human Services and Department of Health to evaluate capacity and funding implications; (2) consider statutory or administrative options that expand access to high‑quality pre‑K without jeopardizing federal Head Start grants; and (3) provide a concrete staffing and cost plan before any change to the compulsory age is advanced.
Votes at a glance: Motion to hold Bill 36‑0069 in committee — outcome: held (7–0).
