§ 18A:44-2 — Establishment of kindergarten.

18A:44-2. a. The board of education of a district serving elementary grades shall establish a kindergarten school or kindergarten department, which in order to receive State aid shall be a one-year program in advance of or in preparation for entrance to first grade, in any school under its control, and shall admit to the kindergarten school or department any child over the age of five and under the age of six years as of October 1 of that school year who is a resident of the district, but a board of education may, in its discretion, admit any student who turns five after this date if they meet entrance requirements as may be established by the rules and regulations of the board through a board approved policy. b. A kindergarten school or kindergarten department established by a board of education shall provide a full-day kindergarten program no later than the beginning of the 2029-2030 school year, provided, however, that a district not providing a full-day kindergarten program prior to the effective date of P.L.2025, c.100 (C.18A:44-7 et al.) may satisfy the requirements of this subsection by entering a sending-receiving relationship with a kindergarten school or kindergarten department established by the board of education of an adjacent school district. The tuition of students attending a kindergarten school or kindergarten department in another district in accordance with a sending-receive agreement shall be determined in accordance with N.J.S.18A:38-19. Attendance at a kindergarten school or kindergarten department shall be free in accordance with the requirements of N.J.S.18A:38-1. L.1967, c.271; amended 1996, c.138, s.72; 2025, c.100, s.12.