How this calculator works
A child usually starts kindergarten in the school year in which they turn five on or before the district cutoff. The page moves the birth date forward five years, compares that date with the cutoff, and picks the year it falls in. If the fifth birthday comes on or before the cutoff, kindergarten starts that year; if it comes after the cutoff, kindergarten waits until the following year. The school year is assumed to begin in September, so the age at the start is measured on 1 September. From there the progression is one grade per year: kindergarten, then grades 1 to 12 in the following twelve school years, with graduation in the spring after grade 12. A skipped or repeated grade moves the real graduation year, so adjust the birth date or read the answer as the expected year for a standard progression.
Formula
fifth birthday = birth date plus five years. If that date is on or before the cutoff (month and day) in that year, kindergarten starts that year; otherwise it starts the following year. grade 12 year = kindergarten year + 12. graduation year = kindergarten year + 13. age at the start = completed years on 1 September of the kindergarten year.
Worked example
A child born on 10 March 2015 with a 1 September cutoff turns five on 10 March 2020, which is before the cutoff, so kindergarten starts in 2020. Grade 12 begins in 2032 and the child graduates in 2033, at age five at the start of kindergarten. A child born on 20 November 2015 turns five on 20 November 2020, after the 1 September cutoff, so kindergarten starts in 2021, grade 12 begins in 2033 and graduation is in 2034. The second child is also five on 1 September 2021 because the sixth birthday is still in November.
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Frequently asked questions
What cutoff date should I use?
Use the date your school district publishes. Many United States districts use 1 September, but some use 1 August, 31 August, 1 October or another date, and a few let districts choose. The Education Commission of the States tracks the state rules, and the district is the final authority for a particular school.
What if my child misses the cutoff by a few days?
Under the standard rule the child waits a year. Many districts offer early admission, testing or a waiver for a child who is close to the cutoff, so ask the district before assuming the timeline is fixed. Private schools often set their own entry rules.
Why does the graduation year come after grade 12 starts?
Grade 12 begins in the autumn of one school year and the graduation ceremony is in the spring of the next calendar year. A student who starts grade 12 in September 2032 graduates in the spring of 2033, which is why the graduation year is one more than the grade 12 start year.
How does a leap day birthday affect the cutoff?
A child born on 29 February is treated as turning five on 28 February in a non-leap year. The difference is at most one day, so it matters only when the cutoff falls between those two dates.