FEELING RISES AGAINST KINDERGARTEN AT AGE 4.

Byline: HARRISON SHEPPARD Sacramento Bureau

SACRAMENTO - Reviving an old debate about when kids should start school, state legislators George and Sharon Runner have found broad support for a measure that would delay kindergarten for more than 100,000 California children.

The Runners' bill would move up the cutoff date by three months, so that all children would have to be 5 years old when they enter kindergarten in September. Currently, kindergarten is available to youngsters who are 5 by Dec. 2.

``California kindergartners are some of the youngest in the nation,'' said state Sen. George Runner, R-Lancaster.

``As a result, I think we suffer when it comes to comparison of our kids because they just are younger; they're not as developed academically, intellectually or emotionally as children from other states.''

California is one of only four states that has a cutoff date of Dec. 1 or later.

Under Senate Bill 1764 and Assembly Bill 2596, the cutoff date would be gradually moved up to Sept. 1 over a three-year period, ensuring that all children are 5 when they start kindergarten.

The measures would save the state more than $700 million a year for 13 years as the entering classes from 2009 to 2011 would be smaller and remain smaller than their predecessors as the students move through the later grades, the Runners said. They have proposed that the savings be dedicated to preschool programs, with a preference for at-risk students.

Additionally, Proposition 82 on the June ballot would fund free preschool for all 4-year-olds.

The state senator and his wife, Assemblywoman Sharon Runner, R- Lancaster, founded Desert Christian Schools more than two decades ago.

Some kindergarten teachers say they have also seen a difference in the youngest kindergartners.

Janette Gembitz, who teaches kindergarten at Glenwood Elementary in Sun Valley, said she has noticed that as the state has increased its testing and curriculum standards in recent years, the youngest children have clearly fallen behind, while the oldest tend to perform best.

``You can just tell: The younger children are just not ready,'' said Gembitz, who has taught kindergarten for more than 20 years.

``You can pick out the October and November babies. The children who are having the hardest time are the youngest. They don't have the motor skills. They're not ready to take in what they want them to do.''

Los Angeles Unified School District officials oppose the bill.

``We believe it would be a bad thing for our children,'' said Ronni Ephraim, the district's chief instructional officer for elementary programs. ``The majority of our elementary school kids, especially our kindergarten kids, come from poverty.

``We're a large urban school district, and we know delaying school any longer keeps them out of school for an extra year. We're interested in accelerating their ability to come to school.''

Many district parents, Ephraim said, do not have access to a good preschool program, unlike families in more affluent areas, so their children's education would be delayed a year.

Additionally, more than half the children entering kindergarten do not speak English at home, and it is better to get them started on the language at a younger age, she said.

The LAUSD currently has about 54,500 students in kindergarten.

There have been several unsuccessful attempts by George Runner and others to change the entering age for kindergarten. But this year the bill has unanimously passed the education committees of both houses.

On Monday, the bill was heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee, where it received support from the California Teachers Association and the California School Boards Association -- and no opposition. The bill remains in the committee until a few more details can be addressed.

harrison.sheppard(at)dailynews.com

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