ALBANY – Yonkers will join the other Big Five school districts in the state by requiring five-year-olds in the city to attend kindergarten. A measure has been passed in the state legislature aimed at increasing kindergarten attendance and it awaits the governor’s signature to become law.
New York City, Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse already require kindergarten attendance.
The Yonkers Board of Education requested the legislation after adopting a resolution noting the importance of kindergarten as part of the educational process.
Yonkers Public Schools currently provide a full day kindergarten program with a 91 percent attendance rate. The proposal would apply to Yonkers children who are five on or before December 1.
Exceptions are provided for parents who choose not to enroll their child until the following September and for students enrolled in non-public schools or receiving home instruction.
