Michigan parents may soon be required to enroll their child in kindergarten under proposed legislation.
Currently, children in Michigan do not need to be enrolled in school until they are six years old.
However, Bill SB 285, introduced in the Senate last week, would lower that age to five years old. According to the Education Commission of the States, 17 states and the District of Columbia have some form of mandatory kindergarten. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Dana Polehanki (D), Livonia, hopes Michigan will join this group as Governor Gretchen Whitmer advocates for free preschool.
The legislation would take effect during the 2025-26 school year, mandating enrollment for children who are five years old by September 1 in kindergarten.
The bill allows for half-day or full-day kindergarten options, with homeschooling, private schools, or parochial schools remaining as alternatives.
The bill has advanced out of the education committee and is awaiting a vote in the Senate.
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