Section 48005.25.

(a) Notwithstanding any law, including, but not limited to, Section 48000, for the 2006–07 school year, and each school year thereafter in which a school district continues to participate in the program, the school district shall offer admission to kindergarten at the beginning of the school year, or at a later time in the same school year, only to children who will have their fifth birthday on or before September 1 of that school year. For a school district that is not implementing the pilot project authorized by this article on a districtwide basis, this subdivision applies only to children whose residence is in the regular attendance boundary of a participating school or who would otherwise attend that school under school assignment policies established in the school year prior to implementation of this pilot program.

(b) Notwithstanding any law, including, but not limited to, Section 48010, for the 2007–08 school year, and each school year thereafter in which a school district continues to participate in the program, a school district shall offer admission to first grade at the beginning of the school year, or at a later time in the same school year, only to children who will have their sixth birthday on or before September 1 of that school year. Kindergarten may not be a prerequisite for enrollment in first grade pursuant to this article. For a school district that is not implementing the pilot project authorized by this article on a districtwide basis, this subdivision applies only to children whose residence is in the regular attendance boundary of a participating school or who would otherwise attend that school under school assignment policies established in the school year prior to implementation of this pilot program.

(c) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (b), the governing board of each school district participating in this program shall adopt a policy to allow, for good cause, admission of a child to kindergarten or to the first grade at the beginning of a school year in which the child's birthday will be after September 1, or at a later time in the same school year. It is the intent of the Legislature that this subdivision authorize rare exceptions for only the most gifted and socially mature children. Therefore, exceptions are limited to no more than the greater of either one child or the number of children determined by multiplying .01 times the prior school year second principal apportionment average daily attendance in kindergarten within the participating school district or the school implementing the program, as applicable. A school or school district may not exceed this limitation without specific written approval from the Superintendent of Public Instruction upon consideration of a statement by the school or school district of the circumstances that meet the legislative intent regarding this subdivision.

(Amended by Stats. 2003, Ch. 227, Sec. 23. Effective August 11, 2003. Inoperative July 1, 2013. Repealed as of January 1, 2014, pursuant to Section 48005.55.)