School May Not Enroll Redshirting or Holding Back Kindergarteners

I  let my fall birthday child wait a year to go to kindergarten (cutoff day Nov 1 this year), what I didn't expect was when it was time to enroll her to kindergarten, our school district would not allow her to go to kindergarten, but put her in first grade instead, based on her age.  "You can talk to the principle", the staff at district enrollment center said.

So I did talk to the principle.  Our principle said she could not do so upon parent's request, but she could let my child take the kindergarten assessment test 1 week before school started. 

Here's what kindergarten assessment showed-- My girl recognized all upper and lower case alphabets, numbers 1-20, sounds of letters, simple sight words and colors, which she learned all that in pre-K.
"She did really well, now we have to give her the kindergarten exit assessment."

The kinder assessment tested more on reading and comprehension, which my daughter did well, (credit to Leapfrog Tag system),but she could not write a simple paragraph consists of 3 sentences, which was part of kindergarten curriculum at our school.  
I am not surprised, I knew she didn't do much writing in pre-K.
 
"I am sorry, your daughter has to go to first grade."
"Many first graders never attend kindergarten, and her teacher will work with her on her writing."  

I got this answer 5 days before school began. My choice is to send her to first grade or a private kindergarten. 

When I was looking up the information on line, it seemed that Chicago public school would not allow redshirting the kindergartners.  My advice to parents who are considering delaying kindergarten enrollment: check with your school district first.  Although there is a minimal age requirement to enroll, but your child might be "too old to go to kindergarten." 
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Here's more info from California Department of Education
Do parents have the right to hold back their child in kindergarten even if the child has met the school's criteria, and does the school have to agree?
Under EC sections 48010 and 48011, a child who has been admitted to kindergarten in a private or public school in California or any other state and who has completed one year in that school shall be admitted to the first grade of an elementary school unless the parent or guardian and the school agree that the child should continue in kindergarten (for not more than an additional school year).