Originally Posted by Anonymous
Originally Posted by Anonymous
I have bad news for you all from MD. Part of the problem here is somewhere around 2001 the idiots who run the public schools pushed the cut off date to begin kindergarten up to September 1st. So, they essential taken anyone born in September through December and forced them to be held back a grade. My son was born in October 2003 but he just finished 7th grade. Previously he would be finishing 8th grade. He looks like he's in 10th grade.

My youngest son starts kindergarten this fall. He was born in October 2011. I've pleaded with Baltimore county schools to let him go early but they refuse. So he's being forced back too. Here is the bad news....I've been told they are pushing that cutoff up even further to June 1st to begin kindergarten. So any child not 5 by may 31st will be forced back a grade. It sucks and is ridiculous. So now the hold backs will be even older

Sorry. Blame the fools at MD public schools!!!


I am not following you?? MD is Sept 1 now starting any grade ..... If they change it to June 1 ...then it will make the the kids that used to be June 1 to Sept 1 go down a grade ... ..not up???

That is what most MIAA schools do to summer babies..after kindergarten make them go to a made up grade between Kindergarten and 1st called prefirst grade..which is basically hold them back from June 1 to Sept 1

Your Oct child may be on the older side for his age and big, but he is at the proper age for a Md public school and most of schools in country. My understanding is that NY is more in line with what you say about a Dec start for school. Md has always been Sept like most schools in country.


Maryland public did change the cutoff starting with the 2001 babies but that is not what is being discussed here. September 1 change was to be in line with most of the country - NY being an exception that remains at December. Hold backs are kids that either do a full year of pre first, the parents hold them a year later for kindergarten or hold back a grade before high school. Kids born between September and December in Maryland are in the proper grad year and in line with most of the country and the old lacrosse age requirements which used September 1. Any kid born before that September 1st date is a holdback or to be gentler, in the wrong grade.