The Pleasant Valley School District has extended the cutoff date for children to enter kindergarten.

Originally, children had to be 5 years old by Sept. 1, now they must turn 5 by Sept. 15.

The school board approved the change to Policy 201 during their meeting on Thursday evening.

“We wanted to give a little more leeway, but there has to be a cutoff,” said Assistant Superintendent Rae Lin Howard. Superintendent James Konrad was not at the meeting.

The school district had several requests from parents last spring to enroll their children in kindergarten early. Howard said that educators have found that children who start kindergarten too early eventually have trouble academically in school.

The school district’s policy also covers the requirements for beginner students. A beginner student is defined as a student in the lowest grade above kindergarten, which is usually the first grade.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the state does not require children to attend kindergarten, but it is compulsory that they begin school at age 6 at the lowest grade above kindergarten.

In the Pleasant Valley School District, a child that is 5 years old may also be admitted to school as a beginner student, as long as the child is 5 before Sept. 15 and fulfill additional requirements. These requirements include:

• A parent or guardian must submit a written request within the first two weeks of school year;

• The child must demonstrate readiness for school;

• Have a recommendation for admittance by the school district’s psychologist, and;

• Have the approval of the superintendent.

Children who turn 6 years old before the first day of school do not need to meet these requirements in order to be admitted as a beginner student into first grade.

Students transferring into the school district may register for first grade if they have attended a minimum of 90 days in a certified first grade program, have a written recommendation and academic documentation from the prior school.