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Committee declines requests for early kindergarten entry for two children
Summary
The Blackstone-Millville Regional School Committee voted not to approve two requests to evaluate children born in early September for early admission to kindergarten, citing policy consistency and concern about setting exceptions to the age cutoff.
The Blackstone-Millville Regional School Committee considered two requests from parents asking that their children, born Sept. 6 and Sept. 8, be evaluated for early admission to kindergarten for the coming school year.
A member raised concerns about policy consistency and the potential for a ‘‘slippery slope’’ if the committee began granting exceptions to the rule that students must be five by the first day of school. "Making exceptions to the rule ... opens it up too much," one committee member said, arguing that individual exceptions would be difficult to manage fairly.
Committee members noted that the district already has alternatives for families who feel a child is academically ready, and suggested the age-cutoff policy is a broader policy conversation rather than an item for a single meeting. After discussion, a motion to approve the two requests was made and seconded; the motion failed and the committee did not grant early entry for the two children.
The committee encouraged families to pursue other local kindergarten options and said if the committee wanted to address the age cutoff it would take place through a separate policy review rather than by ad hoc exception.
