The bill amends section 3321.01 of the Revised Code to clarify the age requirements for kindergarten admission in Ohio. It stipulates that each school district board of education must admit any student who is five years old or, for those who have not completed first grade, six years old by the first day of instruction of the school year. The previous requirement that a child must be five or six years old by the thirtieth day of September has been deleted. Additionally, the bill allows for early admission evaluations for children who will turn five or six before January 1 of the school year in which admission is requested, upon referral by a parent or guardian or an educator.

Furthermore, the bill establishes that once a student is admitted to kindergarten, they cannot be denied admission to another school district based on age. It also allows school districts to adopt a resolution to change the age requirement for first grade admission to the first day of August instead of September. The existing section 3321.01 is repealed, and the new provisions aim to streamline the admission process while ensuring that children are evaluated fairly for early entry into kindergarten or first grade.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 3314.06, 3314.08, 3317.0213, 3321.01
As Reported By House Committee: 3321.01
As Passed By House: 3321.01