Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Kindergarten is not a requirement in Illinois, and State Rep. Kevin Schmidt (R-Millstadt) wants to change that.

“These early years can set students up for an educational career of success,” Schmidt said of his bill.

East St Louis elementary principal Darla Wall supports the bill. “This legislation would ensure that all students across Illinois will benefit from kindergarten education,” she said. “This would give children a smooth transition into first grade, building a foundation not just of education, but of imagination, storytelling, art, and other facets. She said it would give young children a “strong educational base.”

“By age five, nearly 90 percent of the brain development has already occurred, which makes kindergarten a crucial point for early learning and early intervention,” said another sponsor, State Rep. Brandun Schweizer (R-Danville). “Nearly a quarter of all adults in America are functionally illiterate, and in Illinois alone, almost twenty percent of adults struggle with literacy. Studies show by the third grade, students who are struggling to read, write, and do math are far less likely to catch up, compared to students who receive early intervention between kindergarten and second grade.”

Schweizer says the bill is no guarantee, but at least would put all children at the same starting point.

HB 4253 remains in the House Rules Committee.