S.B. 899 & 900: COMMITTEE SUMMARY - KINDERGARTEN STARTING AGE

Senate Bills 899 and 900 (as introduced 2-19-98)

Date Completed: 2-25-98

CONTENT

Senate Bill 899 would amend the State School Aid Act to provide that, for pupils to be counted in membership, they could not be less than five years of age on September 1 of the school year. Currently, pupils counted in membership may not be less than five years of age on December 1 of the school year.

Senate Bill 900 would amend the Revised School Code to permit a child to enroll in kindergarten if he or she were at least five years of age on September 1 of the school year of enrollment. Currently, a child must be at least five years old on December 1 of the school year of enrollment.

MCL 388.1606 (S.B. 899) - Legislative Analyst: L. Arasim

380.1147 (S.B. 900)

FISCAL IMPACT

The bills would reduce the costs of State government and reduce local government costs and revenue. The amount of the change is indeterminate.

Increasing the age requirement for students to be counted in membership by three months would decrease the number of kindergartners in the first year of implementation. That age cohort of students would remain smaller than it otherwise will be until the children graduated or otherwise left school. This would reduce the number of full-time equivalent pupils counted in pupil membership and the State cost of the foundation allowance.

A recent U.S. Department of Education report using 1995 survey data indicates that the entry of approximately 9% of kindergartners was delayed by the parents. This increases to 13% for children born in the last quarter of the calendar year.

Assuming that the bills reduced kindergarten enrollment by approximately 10% in the first year of implementation would result in estimated State savings (and reductions in payments to school districts) of approximately $47 million. Due to the impact of the current 60/40 blended pupil membership definition*, savings would increase in subsequent years to approximately $80 million annually until the smaller age cohort left school. Actual savings would depend on the actual change in the enrollment due to the provision and future changes in the level of the foundation allowance.

*(Note: For FY 1997-98 and FY 1998-99, pupil membership is defined as the sum of 60% of the full-time equivalent (FTE) pupils counted in September of the school year and 40% of the FTE pupils counted the prior February.)

- Fiscal Analyst: E. PrattS9798\S899SA

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.