Hawaii’s public-school students will be starting another new year in August. But if existing plans stay in place, 5,100 of the youngest will be excluded from classrooms, creating unnecessary chaos and frustration for parents. This does not need to occur, and it is incumbent action be taken now to prevent this impending debacle.

Some background: Since the 1940s, the public-school system offered kindergarten to children who turned 5 years old by Dec. 31. In 2004, Gov. Linda Lingle signed Act 219, which changed the date to Aug. 1. The intent was to create a two-tier kindergarten, enabling children whose birthdays are between Aug. 2 and Dec. 31 to enroll in "junior kindergarten," as these "younger" 5-year-old children tend to have lower test scores.

In 2012, though, Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed Act 178 to eliminate junior kindergarten. This meant any child born after Aug. 1 was no longer eligible to enroll in public school at all, which leads to the current situation.

The governor needs to pay attention. He needs to stop believing a few million dollars given to a subsidy program for the "most vulnerable" children, or creating 30 pilot "preschool classrooms" in Department of Education schools for 600 children, can account for the thousands of children who will be disallowed kindergarten entry in the remaining 153 public elementary schools.

Nowhere in any discussions have private providers acknowledged they can accommodate the number of children needing preschools. Even the federally funded Head Start programs canʻt do that. There are simply not enough spaces and not enough qualified teachers.

We should wait for the general election in November before dismantling the existing kindergarten system. The public will have a chance to vote on a constitutional amendment question regarding public funding of private and faith-based preschools. If the public agrees with this, these independent preschools would be eligible to receive public funds.

A delay would allow more time to plan for a gradual implementation of the age change, while providers find facilities, train teachers, create appropriate programs, and prepare for the onslaught of thousands of children unable to enroll in kindergarten each year. A deliberate approach would ensure families are not panicking to find child care, or just keeping children at home for another year.

I was vice chairwoman of the House Education Committee from 2005-2010. I was tasked by the chairperson to develop policy for an early childhood system that would offer accessible, affordable and quality early-learning experiences for 4-year-old children. The Task Force on Early Childhood Education — a representative group of private preschool providers, state department heads, parents, teachers, nonprofit organizations and national consultants — met for five years to articulate, share community input, and sculpt the parameters for such a system (Act 183, 2010).

I am mortified my former colleagues now appear to be casually brushing the early-childhood issue aside and expect the House Finance and Senate Ways and Means committees to "figure it out."

We need the governor to give guidance to his appointed Board of Education, as well as his Office of Early Learning, for policy and implementation of a bona-fide system to serve all children. After all, in the words of Nelson Mandela, "there can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children."

Let us reveal our soul. Delay the attack on kindergarten and protect our children from being "left without."