State Rep. Mary Beth Canty speaks to a colleague before Gov. J.B. Pritzker delivered his annual budget address on Feb. 15, 2023, at the Illinois Capitol. She introduced the full-day bill in the House.
Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford agreed. “Full-day kindergarten provides families with comprehensive, stable learning environments so children can be prepared for the demands of early elementary school,” she said in a statement. Districts that don’t already have a full-day program and need to create one can apply for a waiver to extend the implementation date up to two years past the 2027-28 school year, depending on funding criteria laid out in the bill.
Canty explained that the task force would first study the current state of full-day kindergarten in Illinois, including the capacity of each school district to provide full-day schooling.It’s important to note that full-day kindergarten may not look the same in every district, Canty said, and some districts might pair the program with an early childhood center while others will carve out classrooms in their elementary spaces.
Because children in Illinois are not required to attend school until age 6, parents can opt out of kindergarten altogether. But there is an overwhelming demand for full-day kindergarten in the districts that do offer it, Canty said.
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