TK in the News

Right now only a slim fraction of 4-year-old Californians qualify for transitional kindergarten. The most recent state budget changes that with a 5-year plan to expand the extra year of kindergarten to all 4-year-olds in the state.

Currently, transitional kindergarten, often referred to as TK, is available to students who turn will turn 5 between Sept. 2 and Dec. 2 of the upcoming school year. The latest budget will phase in younger students each year until the year 2025-26, when all 4-year-olds will be eligible for the program.

“Expanding TK will make a huge impact over the next several years,” wrote Ty Bryson, the superintendent of Lakeside Union School District. “The commitment in this budget to provide access and quality in early childhood education is going to be a game changer for elementary school districts, large and small.”