Michigan currently allows parents to enroll children in kindergarten as young as four years and nine months old through an age waiver. While well-intentioned, this policy creates serious challenges for students, teachers, and schools:

• Younger entrants often require disproportionate interventions and support, pulling resources away from children who are developmentally ready.
• Many of these children end up repeating kindergarten, costing Michigan taxpayers over $8,000 per student for a second year.
• Four-year-olds are rarely socially, emotionally, or academically ready for today’s rigorous kindergarten standards.
• Some families view early entry as “free childcare” or plan for their child to complete two years of kindergarten, which wastes instructional resources. This practice is unfair to both the younger children who struggle and the older children who lose teacher time and support.
• Children from non-white and economically disadvantaged families are disproportionately harmed because they are less likely to have access to preschool programs or to have parents who know about or can request early entry. These children are more likely to be placed in classrooms with younger, underprepared peers, which reduces teacher attention and increases the risk that they fall behind.

Our request:
We urge Michigan Legislature to reform the waiver policy so that early kindergarten entry is allowed ONLY if all three of these criteria are met:

1. Birthdate Proximity: The child turns five within two weeks of the district’s first day of school.
2. Preschool Teacher Recommendation: A certified preschool teacher from a legitimate preschool (not daycare staff) must provide a written recommendation based on developmental readiness.
3. School-Based Assessment: The enrolling school must conduct a formal kindergarten readiness assessment covering academic, social-emotional, and behavioral development before approving early entry.

This reform preserves flexibility for exceptional cases while ensuring developmental appropriateness, equity, and efficient use of public resources.

Sign this petition to strengthen our schools by making sure kindergarten starts at the right time for every child.