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Rep. Scott Hilton plans to introduce new legislation that gives parents the choice of when to enroll their kids.
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Gwinnett County Public Schools is standardizing its enrollment practices, requiring 5-year-olds to start in kindergarten and 6-year-olds in first grade.
The district said the decision aligns with state and district guidelines, but parents who planned to “redshirt” their children, like Peter and Ashlyn Case, now find themselves without that option.
“It’s something that you kind of painstakingly think about as a parent and try to do the best by your child,” Ashlyn said. “We’re shocked.”
She and her husband watched their oldest son thrive after a delayed kindergarten enrollment, so they decided their other kids should do the same.
Their 6-year-old started kindergarten this past fall, with plans for their 5-year-old to enroll in 2026. Now, both sons might be in the first grade.
“It removes our agency as parents to decide what makes the most sense for our child,” Peter said. “This was a decision that we made a year or two years ago.”
In a statement to 11Alive, Gwinnett County Public Schools said it reviewed its enrollment practices earlier this year to ensure consistency across all schools.
Gwinnett County Public Schools follows Georgia law and Georgia State Board of Education rules regarding student enrollment and grade placement. While some families choose to delay their child’s start in kindergarten—commonly referred to as ‘redshirting’—districts must ensure placement decisions align with state law and local board policy. In GCPS, we work closely with families to support every child’s readiness for school and long-term success.
Earlier this year, GCPS reviewed its enrollment practices to ensure consistency across all schools. The district has provided additional training and implemented new checks and system alerts to support accuracy and clarity in enrollment moving forward. These steps help ensure families receive consistent information and that all students are placed appropriately based on state and district guidelines.
Our goal is always to partner with families and make sure every student begins their K–12 journey with the right supports in place for a strong start.
The district said its goal is to partner with families and ensure every student begins their K-12 journey with the right supports in place.
State Rep. Scott Hilton said he has heard from numerous parents concerned about their lack of choice. He plans to rewrite state law next year to give families the option to redshirt their children.
“I started hearing from a lot of parents in my district that they were no longer able to redshirt their child,” Hilton said. “Both our family and the science will tell you that a lot of times, especially with boys, they need that extra year of maturity and growth to be able to excel in school.”
He hopes his changes will help parents decide what’s best for their families.
“We’ve got to design an education system that works for everybody, and right now it’s broken,” he said. “I’m going to go back and update the law so that we’ve got clarity and confidence to empower parents as to when they can send their child to school.”
Most states allow some form of kindergarten redshirting, though several large districts ban the practice, including New York City, Chicago and Washington, D.C., public schools.
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