During the 2023 legislative session, the Utah legislature passed HB477, "Full Day Kindergarten Amendments," sponsored by Rep. Robert Spendlove (R-Sandy). On March 17, Governor Cox signed the bill into law. 

This bill establishes the same flexible, stable funding stream for full-day kindergarten as currently exists for all other grades of public school, first through twelfth. It does not create any expectations about the amount of full-day kindergarten programming offered by districts or charter schools, or outline any particular timeline for expansion. Each Local Education Agency (LEA) will have the flexibility to create the mix of half- and full-day programming that works best for the communities they serve, on a timeline that makes sense for them.

HB477 goes into effect this year. Any elementary school in Utah that is ready to expand their full-day kindergarten programs, can begin to do so as early as the 2023-24 school year. Not all elementary schools will be ready right away, due to space and resource limitations. 

The legislature appropriated $25 million to support implementation of the bill. This does not cover the FULL estimated cost of providing full-day kindergarten to all Utah students next year. That's okay, though, because all Utah students can't realistically have access to full-day kindergarten next year. 

The $25 million amount reflects the number of full-day kindergarten classrooms that schools think they will be prepared to offer next year. The legislature also appropriated some contingency funds, in case more classrooms than expected are able to be added in the new school year. 

We expect that between 60% and 65% of Utah kindergartners will be able to enroll in a full-day program in the upcoming 2023-24 school year. The best way to find out if full-day kindergarten will be an option at your local elementary school in the fall, is to call that school directly and ask about their expansion plans.

Not necessarily.

The best way to find out if full-day kindergarten will be an option at your local elementary school in the fall, is to call that school directly and ask about their expansion plans.

In order to expand their full-day kindergarten options, schools require: 1) more classroom space; 2) more teachers and paraprofessionals; 3) additional equipment and materials like tables and books; 4) updated transportation plans; and so on. 

For many schools, these needs will not stand in the way of offering FDK to more parents in the 2023-24 school year this fall. For other schools, it will take time and creativity to overcome these practical challenges. 

In some of Utah's larger, suburban districts - such as Jordan, Alpine and Davis - it may be several years for all parents are offered the opportunity to enroll their child in a full-day program. These three districts actually comprise more than one-third of the entire student population in our state! 

Based on the plans shared with us by school districts and charter schools statewide, we expect that between 60% and 65% of Utah kindergartners will be able to enroll in a full-day program for the 2023-24 school year.   

We are hopeful that in the next three to five years, every Utah family will have a true choice, between half- and full-day kindergarten, for their children. 

We can't say for sure, unfortunately. 

Every district and charter school will face its own unique challenges with regards to expanding optional full-day kindergarten for local families. 

The best way to find out if full-day kindergarten will be an option at your local elementary school in the fall, is to call that school directly and ask about their expansion plans.

If it is important to you that more FDK be offered in your area, you can express your desire to the administration of your school district or charter school. You may also choose to speak with members of your school's community council, the charter school board, or the district school board that represents your area. 

Yes.

If your child is enrolled in a public school (district or charter) in Utah, you will no longer be required to pay tuition in order for your child to participate in a full-day of school programming. 

In fact, HB477 prohibits schools from charging tuition for kindergarten beginning July 1, 2023. 

If your child attends a private school, your tuition will not be reduced or impacted by HB477. 

No. 

As in the majority of states across the nation, kindergarten attendance remains optional. 

No. 

Every district and charter school will have the flexibility to decide how much optional full-day kindergarten programming is appropriate to meet the needs of their communities. 

HB477 does not require any school district or charter school to provide any full-day kindergarten. HB477 merely establishes a way for schools to fund optional full-day kindergarten programs if they decide to do so, based on the preferences in their local communities. 

Yes. 

HB477 specifically states that parents will still be able to send their child to kindergarten for only half a school day, if that is what they prefer.  

As currently occurs in Utah communities where optional FDK is available to most or all families, schools will work directly with parents to accommodate parents' desire for half-day options. Each district and charter school will decide how to best serve the needs of families who prefer half-day kindergarten. 

Students who attend FDK achieve better academic outcomes. This is true both in Utah and nationwide. Due to the successful outcomes associated with FDK, the vast majority of students in the U.S. (82%) participate in FDK. 

While kindergarten isn’t mandatory in our state, between 92 and 96% of students enroll in kindergarten nonetheless. For this vast majority of the population, kindergarten enrollment is important. These families deserve access to increased academic success through better kindergarten programming. 

It may surprise you to learn that kindergarten is not mandatory in many states besides ours, including some of our closest neighbors: Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming and Arizona. Still, FDK participation rates in these four states dramatically outpace the participation rate in Utah. 

In early 2022, the state legislature and the Governor approved HB193, "Full-Day Kindergarten," which included $12.2 million in new funding for optional FDK expansion. The final version of this bill, however, was quite different than the original bill that was proposed. 

Originally, HB193 proposed a three-year plan to roll out $47.7 million to expand FDK to all interested families across the state. About $23.5 million would be distributed to school districts and charter schools in the first year of implementation, with the remaining funds distributed in the following two years. At the end of three years, all kindergarten funding would be distributed through the traditional Weighted Pupil Unit (WPU) formula (rather than through multiple separate state funding streams, all with different reporting and application processes). 

To accommodate a couple of larger school districts with particularly pressing concerns around available classroom space, the bill was adjusted to give LEAs four years to implement their optional FDK expansion plans. 

This proposal won strong support in the House Education Committee, and easily passed a full House vote. It appeared to have the support needed to successfully move through the Senate,  as well. 

Right before the bill could be voted on by the Senate Education committee, however, it was restructured by legislative leaders on the Executive Appropriations Committee. The new version contained no multi-year rollout of funding, no guarantee of eventual FDK funding through a full WPU, and only $12.2 million in new ongoing funding. 

No. 

Families will still be able to decide what works best for their children. 

No kindergarten student will be required to participate in an optional full-day program. HB477 specifically states that parents will still be able to send their child to kindergarten for only half a school day, if that is what they prefer.  

As currently occurs in Utah communities where optional FDK is available to most or all families, schools will work directly with parents to accommodate parents' desire for half-day options. In some areas, this means entire classes of students who attend half-day kindergarten. In other areas, families pick up their child after school in the morning while their classmates remain for the rest of the school day. Each district and charter school will decide how to best serve the needs of families who prefer half-day kindergarten.