Unless you have an August or Sept bday I believe your chart is wrong, most kids will start Kindergarten at 5 an turn 6 sometime during the school year or summer. If you start school on time and don't start early or are not held back you will graduate at 18 unless you have a June, July, August or Sept bday. So 66% of kids that are not held back and don't start early will graduate at 18. If you are held back one year you could be 19 while still in school.

 

My Son will turn 5 Dec 30th of 2013, he is not suppose to start school until the fall of 2014 meaning he will turn 6 shortly after starting meaning he will graduate at 18. If he would need held back for any reason he would turn 19 Dec of his senior year.

 

I am not sure but I believe the rule is you can not play sports period if you are held back more than one year not just when you get to your senior year.

 

Correct, I said that this is how it would be if your birthday is in August or September. So, you could have 19 year old going against a 14 year old freshman.

I think that the cut-off date should be the same for all states.

1. People move for their jobs to a different state. All of the sudden their kid is a lot older or a lot younger in their grade.

2. If you go out of state for college, you will see the age discrepencies again, evident in academics, overall maturity, and of course, athletics.

 

Personally---I think a child should be 5 by the time they start kindergarten. Not a month or 2 after school starts. I think that 5 by October 1st is too early. August 1st or August 15 or whenever school begins, should be the cut-off.

True story Our daughter has a June b-day, started school on time age 5 in kindergarten. Really struggled in school til the 3rd grade, she is a senoir now and has always been one of the youngest in her class. Our son also a June b-day, we waited to start him at 6 , it was the best decision we have ever made besides deciding to have kids. We didn't hold him back because of sports but because of school that extra year has really hepled him maturity wise. As far as sports go other than school, kids have to play with their age group so it is not really an issue.

True story Our daughter has a June b-day, started school on time age 5 in kindergarten. Really struggled in school til the 3rd grade, she is a senoir now and has always been one of the youngest in her class. Our son also a June b-day, we waited to start him at 6 , it was the best decision we have ever made besides deciding to have kids. We didn't hold him back because of sports but because of school that extra year has really hepled him maturity wise. As far as sports go other than school, kids have to play with their age group so it is not really an issue.

 

I have had a teacher tell me she is all for holding kids back bc some of the same reasons you mentioned

Just heard on the news that legislation is trying to change the current drop out age to 18. It is currently 16. This could increase hold backs. It would mean that a 16 yr-old frosh/Soph cannot drop out of school. But an 18 junior/senior could.