California Charter Schools Exempt From Universal Preschool Requirement

By fall 2025, every 4-year-old will be eligible for a free preschool program at California public schools, but charter schools are exempt from the mandate.

For close to a decade, transitional kindergarten was only available to students with birthdays in specific months. Charter schools have never been required to offer the early learning program, but hundreds have opted to enroll younger students.

“A lot of them who offer kindergarten already see it as an opportunity to get students into school earlier,” said Ricardo Soto, chief advocacy officer and general counsel at the California Charter Schools Association.

As part of California’s push to create free, universal preschool, school districts must expand their transitional kindergarten program to every 4-year-old in the state by the 2025-2026 school year. In the academic year that starts this fall, students who turn 5 between Sept. 2 and April 2 can enroll, though some districts are offering the program to more kids ahead of schedule.

A CCSA analysis found that 11% of students attending transitional kindergarten did so at a charter last school year— about 10,000 students went to transitional kindergarten at 559 charter schools across the state.

Charter schools are not required to offer transitional kindergarten at all, but those that do must expand eligibility to all 4-year-olds on the same timeline as traditional public schools.

Public and charter schools have grappled with hiring enough teachers and creating classrooms to fit 4-year-old learners.

“Ideally the district is offering it at all of their sites, but the district does have that choice in where to offer [transitional kindergarten],” said Stephen Propheter, the early learning director for the California Department of Education.

The Los Angeles Unified School District is one of the districts that has sped up the state’s enrollment timeline. Students who turn 4 by or on Sept. 1, 2023 can enroll in transitional kindergarten at 488 of the district’s elementary schools. There are more than 300 charter schools in the district. It appears that of all the schools that offer kindergarten, just two schools do not also offer transitional kindergarten. Both are magnet programs.

“For the small percentage of charter schools that do not have a UTK [universal transitional kindergarten] classroom starting fall 2023, the district will continue working with these schools in an effort to expand UTK access to Los Angeles Unified families,” an LAUSD spokesperson wrote in response to LAist’s questions about where the program will be offered.

Find transitional kindergarten near you

Every public school district has to offer transitional kindergarten, but where and what the program looks like is different from school to school.

For example, schools might offer a half-day or full-day program. Transitional kindergarten might be a standalone classroom or combined with kindergarten.

Since each school sets its own policies, you’ll get the most accurate information if you ask staff directly about their transitional kindergarten program. Some charter schools might have a waitlist.

Transitional kindergarten is also not the only preschool option. Some schools also offer free- or low-cost early education programs through California’s state preschool program or Head Start. There are also child-care programs.

“I think it really starts with the family and the family identifying what their needs are and what their comfort level is based on their experience with their child,” said Sarah Figueroa-Freeman, vice president and chief operating officer at charter operator Para Los Niños. “Because no one knows their child better than they do.”