On December 19, 2025, Governor DeWine signed House Bill 114 (“HB 114”) into law, which revises the minimum age requirements for admission to kindergarten for public school districts. The bill will take effect on or about March 20, 2026.
Under current law, each district must admit all students to kindergarten if they are 5 years old by September 30 of the school year of admittance. However, current law also allows districts to adopt a resolution establishing August 1 as the deadline by which a student must turn 5 to enroll in kindergarten.
HB 114 revises the minimum age requirements for student admission to kindergarten. Specifically, HB 114 eliminates the option for school districts to choose between August 1 and September 30 for kindergarten entry cutoffs. Rather, effective March 20, 2026, and beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, the bill will require districts to admit the following children to kindergarten:
Any child who is 5 years old by the first day of instruction of the school year of admittance.
Any child who is 6 years old by the first day of instruction of the school year and has not completed first grade.
While HB 114 revises the minimum age requirements for admission to kindergarten, the early entrance requirements remain unchanged. Specifically, upon referral by the child’s parent, guardian, district educator, preschool educator, pediatrician or psychologist, any child who does not meet the age requirements, but who will be 5 years old prior to January 1 of the school year of admittance, is still eligible for early admission in accordance with each district’s local early entrance policy. Following an evaluation of these children, each local board of education must decide whether to admit the child. For those children who will not be 5 years old by January 1, admittance to kindergarten may only be granted in accordance with the District’s acceleration policy.
What does HB 114 mean for schools?
In preparation for the 2026-2027 school year, school districts should first review current policies and practices to determine whether they are using the August 1 or September 30 deadline for purposes of allowing students to enroll in kindergarten. Those districts currently using the August 1 deadline should anticipate more students admitted to kindergarten for the 2026-2027 school year. Conversely, those districts using the September 30 deadline should anticipate fewer students admitted during the upcoming school year. The amount of increase and/or decrease in kindergarten enrollment will vary district to district but each district will need to consider these changes when making staffing decisions for the 2026-2027 school year. Districts should review the reduction in force procedures and the last-minute hiring options in their collective bargaining agreements to ensure they are prepared to respond to shifts in kindergarten enrollment.
As noted above, HB 114 requires each district to admit to kindergarten any student who is 5, or for those who have not completed first grade, 6 years old by the first day of instruction of the school year of admittance. Many school districts utilize different start dates for different buildings and/or grade levels (i.e., staggered starts). In such instances, HB 114 is ambiguous as to whether the kindergarten enrollment deadline is the first day on which the district is providing instruction directly to kindergarten students, or whether the deadline is the first day in which the district is providing instruction to any of its students. There may also be distinctions between the first day all kindergarteners report, and the first day kindergartners begin reporting in small groups. In the event your district uses staggered starts to the school year, please reach out to your legal counsel for additional support and guidance to determine the deadline that meets the statutory requirements and the individual needs of your district.
If you have any other questions or concerns regarding changes to kindergarten enrollment, please reach out to your district’s legal counsel.