GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1997

S	1 

SENATE BILL 1011

Short Title:  Time for Initial Entry Into Kindergarten.    	(Public)

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Sponsors: Senators Foxx; Albertson, Allran, Blust, Carpenter, Carrington, Clark, Cochrane, Conder, Dalton, Garwood, Hartsell, Horton, Jenkins, Jordan, Kerr, Kincaid, Kinnaird, Ledbetter, Lee, Lucas, Martin of Pitt, Martin of Guilford, McDaniel, Miller, Page, Phillips, Reeves, Rucho, Shaw of Guilford, Soles, Webster, Weinstein, and Wellons.

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Referred to:  Education/Higher Education.

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April 21, 1997

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO REQUIRE LOCAL BOARDS TO ADMIT OTHERWISE ELIGIBLE CHILDREN TO KINDERGARTEN AFTER THE FIRST MONTH OF SCHOOL.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  G.S. 115C-364 reads as rewritten:
"§ 115C-364.  Admission requirements.
A child who reaches the age of five on or before October 16 of the school year in which the child is presented for enrollment is entitled to initial entry into the public schools.  A child who did not reach the age of five on or before October 16 of the school year in which the child is presented for enrollment but who attended school in another state in accordance with the laws or rules of that state before the child moved to and became a resident of North Carolina also is entitled to initial entry into the public schools.  The initial point of entry into the public school system shall be at the kindergarten level.  If the principal of a school finds as fact subsequent to initial entry that a child, by reason of maturity can be more appropriately served in the first grade rather than in kindergarten, the principal may act under G.S. 115C-288 to implement this educational decision without regard to chronological age.  The principal of any public school may require the parents of any child presented for admission for the first time to that school to furnish a certified copy of the child's birth certificate, which shall be furnished by the register of deeds of the county having on file the record of the birth of the child, or other satisfactory evidence of date of birth."
Section 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.