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California completes transition to universal TK
The start of a new school year brings new changes to California public schools, with transitional kindergarten now universally available for the first time.
PLEASANT HILL, Calif. - The start of a new school year brings new changes to California public schools, with transitional kindergarten now universally available for the first time.
The 2025-2026 school year marks the state’s completion of expanding transitional kindergarten, or TK.
This means local school districts are required to make TK available to all children who will have their fourth birthday by September 1st of the school year. The California Department of Education has spent millions in grants to local districts to make the transition over the past several years.
At Fair Oaks Elementary in Pleasant Hill, mother Jessica Steidel said her 4-year-old son Ozzy, is settling into the new school.
"It was a big transition for him and it’s going really well," she said. "He’s talking about what they do in circle time. He’s singing the songs."
Fair Oaks Elementary is among 65 general education rooms in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District, according to Director of Elementary Support Erin DeMartini.
"Our TK classrooms are set up with different stations... It’s very exploratory, very play based," she said. "We are just really committed to making sure our staff is trained to in all the early childhood development and early childhood development strategies so our youngest scholars are getting the best we can give them to prepare for their future."
MDUSD hired 24 TK teachers and repurposed spaces to accommodate adding a total of 24 TK programs across its elementary schools.
"We’ve done hiring fairs and we’re fully staffed with TK teachers in all 65 classrooms," DeMartini said. "We’ve added 300 students to our TK programs. We knew they were coming, and we prepared to get ready for them."
The Bay Area's biggest school districts also added more TK classes this school year. The San Francisco Unified School District added 15 TK programs, the Oakland Unified School District added seven TK programs, and the San Jose Unified School District added three TK programs to the dozens it already offers.
Teachers reportedly moved from other grade levels, or some came out of retirement, all to fulfill a state requirement that there be one adult for every 10 students in the classroom.
Hanna Melnick, Director of Early Learning Policy at the Learning Policy Institute, has been tracking California’s transition to universal TK for at least the past five years. She said not all eligible children have enrolled in TK yet. Last year, roughly 50% to 60% of eligible children signed up for TK classes across the state.
"We definitely expect many more thousands of kids to enroll," she said. "Each year we've jumped up in the TK population by about 20 or 30,000 kids. The number of students has really grown substantially. Over 177,000 TK children enrolled last year, so it will be even more this year."
She said despite challenges for districts in recent years, like teacher shortages, and finding qualified teachers, districts seem to be in a more stable place.
"We really hope that districts are looking for experienced preschool teachers who have worked outside the school district as really good candidates, because they know how to work with this age group," she said. "While they might not have a credential, they can earn one and be great additions to their staff."
Melnick said TK education is play-based with a focus on math and literacy.
"I think the proof will be from the parents and the families and what they think of the education that their kids are getting," Melnick added.
DeMartini said all of MDUSD’s TK classrooms reflect the play-based model.
"Our goal is that when children come back to us in kindergarten, they know how to be a student, and they know how to be a part of a community," she said. "Some [children] have been home, some have been in in-home daycare, and some have been in preschool. You really cut that opportunity gap when TK is universal."
TK also cuts the cost for parents. It is a free, alternative option to daycare or private preschool.
Steidel said she is saving roughly $1,000 a month on daycare, which has allowed her to increase care for her younger child, now that Ozzy is in TK.
"Developmentally and financially, I’ve been banking on this, quite literally," Steidel said.
She said Ozzy has eased into the transition to TK and feels the program will prepare him for what’s to come in kindergarten.
"I hope that education continues to be advocated for," Steidel added. "It matters."