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Senate advances bill to include kindergarten in school-attendance law after debate over costs and waivers
Summary
Senators amended and advanced SB 150 to place kindergarten in statute (with a one-year parental/teacher waiver), citing access to class-size and federal funds; discussion focused on a contested fiscal note and whether the change simply codifies existing practice.
Senator Scott Howell led the Senate in moving amendments to Senate Bill 150, a measure that would place kindergarten into state statute and thereby make it part of the K‑12 attendance framework. Howell argued the change would let kindergarten qualify for the same state and federal funding streams as higher grades and guard the program against being cut when budgets tighten. "In order to fund kindergarten properly, it has to become part of statute," Howell said, adding that "approximately 97 percent" of Utah children already…
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