Bronx and city 5-year-olds may soon be headed to full-day kindergarten if a proposal by the state Board of Regents gets approved.

The board?s proposal would require all state school districts to provide full-day kindergarten. It would also lower the starting school age to 5, instead of 6. The change would cost more than $183 million in aid over five years. Parents opposed to sending their children to school at the age of 5 would be able to request a waiver from the school district.

The plan has already been approved by the Board of Regents. It will now go to the state Senate and Assembly. If the plan is signed into law, it would be phased in over three years beginning in the 2007-2008 school year.