SACRAMENTO, CA – Sen. Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) introduced an early childhood education bill that will ensure all children receive critical instruction in their earliest years of learning. SB 70 will require students to complete one year in kindergarten before entering the first grade so that they are prepared socially and academically.

“As a public school teacher for 17 years, I have witnessed the detrimental impact on young students who miss out on fundamental early education,” Sen. Rubio said. “The voluntary participation of kindergarten increases student chronic absenteeism and further widens the achievement gap. This bill is critical to the academic development and success of all students in the state, especially now during a global pandemic.”

“Kindergarten is an essential part of a student’s development and we are proud to have offered a full-day experience to all students for more than a decade,” said Austin Beutner, Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District. “A full year of kindergarten ensures students have access to high-quality academic, social, and developmentally-appropriate experiences which provide a strong foundation for a lifetime of success. This opportunity for children is made more urgent due to the drop in kindergarten enrollment because of the impact this pandemic is having on families in low-income communities.”

According to the National Education Association, kindergartners who miss ten percent or more school days have lower academic performance when they reach the first grade. Experts predict that low-income, K-12 Latino students will scholastically fall as much as nine months— a full academic year— behind non-Hispanic White and higher-income students from classes missed in spring 2020 alone.

This early childhood education bill package will ensure that students receive critical instruction during their early years of learning to reach their full academic potential.

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For media inquiries, contact Edward Barrera at edward.barrera@sen.ca.gov