Local officials support a plan in Gov. Tom Wolf's budget proposal to lower the compulsory age for school attendance from 8 years to 6 years and raising the minimum age at which students can drop out of high school from 17 to 18.

The Department of Education says research shows that students who start their education at an early age get better grades and have better social and emotional development.

The compulsory starting age proposal would affect about 3,000 students statewide and the drop out mandate would affect about 2,000. The changes are contained in the Statewide Workforce Education and Accountability Program, which is part of Wolf's 2019-20 budget proposal.

The SWEAP plan would also raise the minimum salary for teachers to $45,000 from the current minimum of $18,500.

In addition, Wolf said his administration will also study the benefits of providing free full day kindergarten to all children starting at age 5.

Most Butler School District students enroll in kindergarten at age 5 now.

“The vast majority of our kindergarten is 5 years old. A very limited number don't start by 5. This isn't a huge policy shift,” said Superintendent Brian White.

He said he generally supports the plan, but doesn't have many details about it and wants to learn more.

“It's something we're supportive of overall. We're trying to encourage kids to be in school earlier. We made a big investment in full-day kindergarten so obviously we support that,” White said.

Seeing a student drop out of high school is heartbreaking, he said.

“A child at 17 deciding to drop out is problematic. We know there's a skills gap in our world. Kids who leave without skills to move on to a career or a college setting will be in a financial deficit their whole lives.

“It's heartbreaking to see a 17 year old give up on school, because it limits their paths in the future,” White said.

State Rep. Tedd Nesbit, R-8th, said it is important for children to enter school at an early age.

“Most of the constituents I have enroll their students by the time they are 6. Studies show students do better the earlier they get involved in education. I don't think most people would object to that. It's critical that we get kids enrolled and get their brains wired for education early in the process,” Nesbit said.

He said raising the minimum drop out age is a more complex issue, but he believes high school students should pursue college or job training programs.

“I can't imagine why anyone would want to drop out. Most vocations require a minimum of a high school degree. We advocate for college or training to prepare for jobs,” Nesbitt said. “The problem is, if someone decides they want to drop out — what are the consequences for them? How do we enforce that?”

State Sen. Elder Vogel Jr., R-47th, supports both measures. “I think that raising the drop out age is a good idea. Keep them in school as long as we can. At the end of the day, if you drop out you're probably going to end up being in trouble somewhere,” Vogel said.

Children who start school early have better chances of academic success, he said.

“It's a proven fact — prekindergarten and full-day kindergarten have led to kids doing better in first grade and through the rest of school. It's a worthwhile thing. You need a college degree to get a family sustaining job,” he said.

Stephanie Long, early childhood program coordinator at Butler County Community College, is also in favor of both proposals.

“I think both are a necessary requirement now,” Long said. “Children are coming into kindergarten with less and less preschool readiness. They're coming in at all different levels academically and developmentally. Kindergarten is an essential grade to complete.”

A student who begins school at 7 or 8 would enter first or second grade and have less social, emotional and cognitive development than students who came from kindergarten, she said.

“I have a student who didn't start till second grade. She said she wished she would have started in kindergarten,” Long said.

Long supports raising the drop out age “because it will guarantee students at least come out with a high school diploma.”

Having a diploma is vital to finding a job or seeking post-secondary education, she said. “If parents drop out, their students will probably drop out because they don't value education and the completion of the degree,” Long said.

The current compulsory starting age has been in place since 1895, said Nicole Reigelman, communications director for the Department of Education.

“A lot has changed since then. We're just one of two states that allows kids to wait till 8 to start school,” she said. “There's a lot of research and data that support starting kids earlier in high quality programming has benefits in secondary and post secondary education, workforce readiness, language and literacy and better achievement.”

Raising the dropout age benefits students in the long run. “Every year there are thousands of students who leave school without a diploma. That leads to lost earnings and adds to public costs. Keeping kids in school longer to achieve that high school diploma can really be the stepping stone to what they want to do next,” Reigelman said.