House Bill 114, signed into law on December 19, 2025, mandates that school districts admit children to kindergarten only if the child is five years old by the first day of school, beginning with the 2026–2027 school year.
This change replaces the former statutory framework, which permitted districts to select either August 1 or September 30 as the cutoff date by which a child was required to turn five to enroll in kindergarten.
Consistent with the prior version of the law, children who will turn five before January 1 of the school year may still be considered for early admission, following an evaluation conducted in accordance with district policy. In addition, Ohio law continues to provide that once a student has been admitted to kindergarten in any public school district or chartered, nonpublic school, a receiving district may not refuse to admit that student based on age, if the child later transfers.
This law becomes effective on March 20, 2026. School districts may wish to consider:
- Updating policies and guidelines to reflect the new requirement that students be five years old by the first day of school.
- Checking to make sure early admission procedures are clearly defined and consistently applied for children turning five before January 1st.
- Providing updated training for enrollment staff, including the requirement to admit students previously enrolled in a public or chartered, nonpublic school, regardless of age.
- Reaching out to counsel if your district staggers its starting dates or has any other unique considerations related to kindergarten admission.
Weston Hurd’s Education Law team is available to help guide your district through these changes and their practical implications.
