Policy committee backs requiring kindergarteners be 5 by Sept. 1, recommends waiver elimination

The Madison Board of Education policy committee on Thursday recommended the full board adopt a revision to Policy 5040 that would require children to be 5 years old on or before Sept. 1 of the school year to enter kindergarten and eliminate the district's early-admission waiver process.

A committee member said staff and trustees "have been advocating for this change for years," and that aligning with a Sept. 1 cutoff will give children "equal footing" when they begin kindergarten. Committee members noted the district is following state statute and described the change as a modest tightening of the current practice.

Committee discussion clarified timing: the committee referenced eliminating the waiver effective July 1, 2026, and discussed language pointing to the 2027 school year timing for the age cutoff. No member objected to fast-tracking the policy for a second reading; the committee agreed to recommend that the full board take the policy up at its next meeting.

The committee did not record objections or a formal roll-call vote in the transcript; the meeting summary shows members agreed to forward Policy 5040 for a second reading. The committee asked that the policy text and effective dates be confirmed before the full-board vote.

The policy committee's action means the proposed age requirement will be placed on the board agenda for formal consideration; any effective date will be set by the adopted policy and communicated to families once the board approves it.