SB150 – Making Registering for Kindergarten Easier and Uniform

Three out of four Delaware parents or caregivers who responded to a recent survey described the kindergarten registration process as “hard” or “extremely hard,” while 98 percent of Spanish-speaking parents registered dissatisfaction with the current system.

“Registering a child for kindergarten is the first introduction most parents have to the public education system,” Senator Elizabeth Lockman said. “It should be an exciting time. Yet, for many families, the initial experience is confusing and stressful due to conflicting rules and deadlines set by each of the 28 district and charter schools that offer kindergarten services. These families deserve better and we owe it to our constituents to find a solution that makes sense for everyone.”

Senate Bill 150 directs the Delaware Department of Education to develop a consistent kindergarten registration process that can be offered on a pilot basis for the 2021-2022 school year and rolled out statewide in the summer of 2023. The bill would require that the new uniform registration process include both English and Spanish-language versions, both of which are accessible both online and in paper form. Schools would be required to offer computer access to parents seeking to complete the online version, which also must offer a seamless connection with a given department’s school choice website.

“As the mom of a new kindergartener this August, I understand how exciting and overwhelming it can be to prepare your child for this new beginning. Kindergarten registration should be a seamless process, so both the children and caregivers can be at ease during this monumental time,” said freshman Rep. Melissa Minor-Brown, the prime House sponsor of SB 150. “We should do what we can to break down barriers and make kindergarten registration an easy experience so our children can be the best prepared when they enter the classroom. By establishing a uniform registration process, this legislation is a substantial step forward to achieving that goal.”

SB 150 is currently scheduled for a vote on the Senate floor today.

WHERE IS THE BILL NOW? Out of Committee 6/12/19

DEMOCRATIC SPONSORS – Minor Brown, Lockman, Sokola, Sturgeon, Townsend, Bolden, Chukwuocha, Cooke, Dorsey-Walker

REPUBLICAN SPONSORS –

YES VOTES – SENATE — ||| HOUSE —

NO VOTES – SENATE — ||| HOUSE —

ABSENT —