Most states do not require that students attend kindergarten. But kindergarten provides structure for children and opens the door for learning. While there has been a national drop in enrollment, the drop in kindergarten has been steeper than at other levels. For example, in Arizona the drop in kindergarten has been down 14 percent compared to a 5 percent drop across all grades. Pre-K and kindergarten enrollment fell 18 percent in Massachusetts, compared to decline of almost 4 percent for other grades.
Parents are turning to parochial and private schools which could result in an impact on funding and result in teacher layoffs. This has already happened in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where 300 fewer kindergarten students could mean a loss of $2.5 million in state financial aid. In Georgia, where kindergarten enrollment dropped 11 percent, public schools could loss $100 million in state funding.