Milford families preparing for kindergarten in 2027–2028 must have children turn 5 by Aug. 12, 2027, under Ohio’s first-day-of-school eligibility rule.

The Milford Exempted Village School District will host a Kindergarten Information Night on Dec. 1 at 6:30 p.m. at Mulberry Elementary School, according to the district's website. The event targets families of children entering kindergarten next fall.

Under the new rule, children must turn 5 by Aug. 12, 2027, the first day of school, to be eligible. The district says this change aligns with updated state requirements.

The shift comes from House Bill 114 (HB 114), a state law sponsored by Reps. Adam Bird and Kevin Ritter that standardized the cutoff statewide. Previously, Ohio districts could set their own cutoff as either Aug. 1 or Sept. 30. Now every district's cutoff is the first day of its school year, as Fox 8 reported in February.

Bird told Fox 8 that constituents in districts with an Aug. 1 cutoff were frustrated when their child turned 5 just days later and had to wait a full year. The law does not change existing early entrance policies, Bird said. He added that districts still set their own process, which typically involves testing.

The change has statewide reach. An Ohio Legislative Service Commission analysis estimated the law would keep about 5,000 students across Ohio out of kindergarten in the 2026–2027 school year and reduce state education spending by nearly $50 million, Signal Cleveland reported in January.

What families will learn Dec. 1

District staff plan to cover the registration process, early entrance options, tuition, a sample daily schedule, curriculum highlights and supports available to students and families, according to the district's event listing. The district introduced tuition-free all-day kindergarten starting in the 2026–2027 school year, according to its enrollment page.

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce notes that children whose fifth birthday falls after the first day of school but before Jan. 1 may be referred for early entrance under their district's policy. For children turning 5 on or after Jan. 1 of the school year, families may make a referral, and the child will be evaluated for early admittance under the district's acceleration policy.

Families with questions can contact Milford Schools directly or attend the Dec. 1 session, where early entrance options are among the scheduled topics.