Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Trump Sues Wall Street Journal Over Epstein Report, Seeks $10 Billion

2 days ago

Clovis Unified Mourns Passing of Former Superintendent Terry Bradley

2 days ago

Clovis At-Risk Missing Person Found Dead in Fresno Canal

2 days ago

DOJ Asks California Sheriffs for Names of Inmates Who Aren’t Citizens

2 days ago

Israel Agrees to Allow Syrian Troops Limited Access to Sweida

2 days ago

Border Patrol Agents Raid a Home Depot in Northern California

2 days ago

Man Admits to Killing Missing Bass Lake Resident, Madera County Authorities Say

3 days ago

Trump Diagnosed With Vein Condition Causing Leg Swelling, White House Says

3 days ago

US Seeks One-Day Sentence for Police Officer Convicted in Breonna Taylor Case

3 days ago

Manhattan Prosecutor Who Handled Epstein Cases Is Fired

3 days ago
Newsom Vetoes Mandatory Kindergarten Law, Citing Costs
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 3 years ago on
September 26, 2022

Share

 

Beyond what they learn academically in kindergarten, students learn everyday routines: how to take care of class materials and how to be kind to their peers, according to Golden Empire Elementary School kindergarten teacher Carla Randazzo.

While developing those skills became more difficult for students going to school online during the pandemic, occasionally, a student entering first grade at Golden Empire didn’t attend kindergarten at all, Randazzo said. Nearly two-thirds of students at the Sacramento school are English learners.

“Those kids just start out having to climb uphill,” she said. “They need a lot of support to be successful.”

Randazzo always thought it was “peculiar” that kindergarten is not mandatory in California. For now, though, California won’t join 20 other states with mandatory kindergarten.

Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed legislation Sunday night that would have required children to attend kindergarten — whether through homeschooling, public or private school — before entering first grade at a public school.

As he has with other recent legislative vetoes, Newsom cited the costs associated with providing mandatory kindergarten, about $268 million annually, which he said was not accounted for in the California budget.

Newsom has supported similar legislation in the past. Last year, he signed a package of education bills, including one transitioning the state to universal pre-K starting in the 2025-26 school year. But the state’s Department of Finance opposed the mandatory kindergarten bill, stating it would strain funds by adding up to 20,000 new public school students.

Proponents of mandatory kindergarten say it could help close the academic opportunity gap for low-income students and students of color, as well as help children develop important social skills before the 1st grade. The bill was introduced after K-12 attendance rates dropped during the pandemic and some students struggled with online learning.

Kindergarten enrollment in California dropped nearly 12% in the 2020-21 academic year compared to the previous year, according to the state Department of Education. Nationwide, public school enrollment dropped by 3 percent in 2020-21 compared to the previous school year, with preschool and kindergarten enrollment dropping at higher rates, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Samantha Fee, of Citrus Heights, said her 7-year-old son could solve practically any math equation during the 2020-21 school year, while he attended kindergarten online. But by the end of the school year, he still couldn’t read and didn’t know all his letters.

She said the family made the difficult decision to have her son, who attends Golden Empire, repeat kindergarten to prepare him for first grade.

“They learn a lot in that first year — how to sit at their desks, and how to raise their hand and all that they’re expected to know in the first grade,” Fee said. “Without kindergarten, they don’t have that.”

Research from the Economic Policy Institute shows that disparities in academic opportunity begin as early as kindergarten. Children who develop their social and emotional skills by the time they reach kindergarten age can be more likely to go to college, according to a 2015 study by the American Public Health Association.

“The pandemic led to a startling drop in K-12 enrollment, raising concerns about a widening opportunity gap,” said Jessica Lall, president and CEO of the Central City Association of Los Angeles.

While the legislation to make kindergarten mandatory passed overwhelmingly in both houses of the Legislature, Sen. Brian Jones of San Diego County opposed it, saying the state should focus instead on education reform.

Newsom also vetoed separate legislation that would have required every school with kindergarten to offer at least one full-day class option, saying it “will create one-time and ongoing costs in the hundreds of millions of dollars,” noting that the 2022-23 budget included $4 billion in funding for expanded learning opportunities.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Authorities Investigating Deadly Assault in Kingsburg

DON'T MISS

Peach the Prancing Pup Could Be Fresno’s Next Ninja Warrior

DON'T MISS

At Least 32 Killed by Israeli Fire While Seeking Aid in Gaza, Hospital Says

DON'T MISS

At Least 30 Injured When Car Hits Crowd Outside Los Angeles Club, Fire Department Says

DON'T MISS

Merced Man Drowns While Kayak Fishing at Courtright Reservoir

DON'T MISS

Syrian Forces Struggle to Implement Ceasefire in Druze Region

DON'T MISS

California Medical School Welcomes Record Class of Fresno State Graduates

DON'T MISS

New CA Budget Papers Over $20 Billion Deficit, Ignores Day of Reckoning

DON'T MISS

Astronomer CEO, HR Chief on Leave After Coldplay ‘Kiss Cam’ Sparks Scandal

DON'T MISS

Sanger Man Arrested in Child Exploitation Investigation

UP NEXT

California Medical School Welcomes Record Class of Fresno State Graduates

UP NEXT

More than Severance: Fresno Unified Wants to Give $162K to Nikki Henry to End ‘Dispute’

UP NEXT

Blast at Los Angeles Sheriff’s Facility Leaves Three Dead, Media Reports

UP NEXT

Clovis Unified Mourns Passing of Former Superintendent Terry Bradley

UP NEXT

DOJ Asks California Sheriffs for Names of Inmates Who Aren’t Citizens

UP NEXT

Newsom Wants California to Counter Texas on Redistricting

UP NEXT

Border Patrol Agents Raid a Home Depot in Northern California

UP NEXT

Behind the Masks: Who Are the People Rounding Up Immigrants in California?

UP NEXT

Homeowners With Solar Rise Up to Defang Bill Authored by Former Utility Executive

UP NEXT

US Attorney General Bondi Visits Alcatraz After Trump Call to Reopen Notorious Prison

At Least 32 Killed by Israeli Fire While Seeking Aid in Gaza, Hospital Says

23 hours ago

At Least 30 Injured When Car Hits Crowd Outside Los Angeles Club, Fire Department Says

23 hours ago

Merced Man Drowns While Kayak Fishing at Courtright Reservoir

23 hours ago

Syrian Forces Struggle to Implement Ceasefire in Druze Region

23 hours ago

California Medical School Welcomes Record Class of Fresno State Graduates

1 day ago

New CA Budget Papers Over $20 Billion Deficit, Ignores Day of Reckoning

1 day ago

Astronomer CEO, HR Chief on Leave After Coldplay ‘Kiss Cam’ Sparks Scandal

2 days ago

Sanger Man Arrested in Child Exploitation Investigation

2 days ago

Trump Sues Wall Street Journal Over Epstein Report, Seeks $10 Billion

2 days ago

Fresno Man Arrested for Home Invasion, Groping Sleeping Woman

2 days ago

California Is Finally Adopting Phonics, Fulfilling a Grandmother’s Dream

This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. By Dan Walters CalMatters Opinion Marion Joseph d...

24 minutes ago

Oakland Students Learning to Read
24 minutes ago

California Is Finally Adopting Phonics, Fulfilling a Grandmother’s Dream

14 hours ago

Fresno County Authorities Investigating Deadly Assault in Kingsburg

Peach, a 2-year-old chihuahua in Fresno, is capturing hearts with her sweet personality, love for play, and unexpected fence-climbing talents that hint at a future in canine stardom. (Mell's Mutts)
22 hours ago

Peach the Prancing Pup Could Be Fresno’s Next Ninja Warrior

Mourners react next to a body during the funeral of Palestinians killed in an early morning Israeli strike, according to medics, at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, July 19, 2025. (Reuters/Mahmoud Issa)
23 hours ago

At Least 32 Killed by Israeli Fire While Seeking Aid in Gaza, Hospital Says

A vehicle that plunged into a crowd outside a nightclub, injuring dozens, is seen on Santa Monica Boulevard in the East Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 19, 2025. REUTERS/Jorge Garcia
23 hours ago

At Least 30 Injured When Car Hits Crowd Outside Los Angeles Club, Fire Department Says

23 hours ago

Merced Man Drowns While Kayak Fishing at Courtright Reservoir

Bedouin fighters ride on motorbikes along a street, as Sweida province has been engulfed by nearly a week of violence triggered by clashes between Bedouin fighters and factions from the Druze, at Sweida governorate, Syria, July 18, 2025. (Reuters/Karam al-Masri)
23 hours ago

Syrian Forces Struggle to Implement Ceasefire in Druze Region

Fresno State Grads Arrive At CHSU
1 day ago

California Medical School Welcomes Record Class of Fresno State Graduates

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend