California has a mandatory first through 12th grade school
requirement. School age is 5 to 18 years of age.
Elementary School is
usually 1st - 6th Grade
Middle School is usually 7th - 9th Grade
High
School is usually 10th - 12th Grade
Some schools have Elementary School
Kindergarten to 3rd grade, Middle School 4th to 8th grade, and High School 9th
to 12th grades.
Information from the California Department of Education
(CDE): Parents and guardians are currently not required to enroll children in
kindergarten (Education Code (EC) Section 48200). If parents/guardians choose to
enroll their children, schools must admit children who are of legal age.
Admission of age-eligible children must occur at the beginning of the school
year or whenever the students move into the school district.
While local
education officials may need a day or two to identify the particular assigned
kindergarten classroom, no age-eligible child may be denied access to school by
being placed on a waiting list. Although demographics and class size reduction
restrictions may prevent parents/guardians from enrolling their children in the
neighborhood school, the district must provide the name(s) of available schools.
Parents/guardians may discuss school choice options with district officials.
Age-Eligible Children: Districts must admit children at the beginning of
the school year (or whenever they move into a district) if they will be five
years of age on or before December 2 of the school year. Children who are
age-eligible for kindergarten may attend any prekindergarten summer program
maintained by the school district. Information about items constituting proof of
age supplied by parent or guardian is found in EC Section 48002. Immunization
requirements are found in Health and Safety Code Section 120325 and Section
120335.
Under-Age Children: Districts and CDE staff are frequently
requested by parents/guardians to enroll children who are not age-eligible in
kindergarten and first grade. CDE has no authority to require districts to admit
or accelerate under-age children. The information below is regarding enrollment
of under-age children in either kindergarten or first grade.
Early
Admission to Kindergarten. In addition to the laws mentioned above , there is an
additional -- but rarely used -- option for admitting children to kindergarten
once they turn five years old. Districts may admit to kindergarten those
children whose birthdays occur after December 2. These children may not begin
school at the beginning of the school year, but they must wait until their fifth
birth date occurs.
Private School Considerations: Private schools do not
necessarily operate under the same requirements as public schools, but
representatives of the California Association of Private Schools Organizations
(CAPSO) indicate many private schools do follow Education Code sections
referenced in this document. If children have been admitted as three- or
four-year olds to private school kindergarten, it is their parents'/guardian's
responsibility to monitor their children's emotional and physical responses to
the accelerated curriculum.