Transitional Kindergarten

Transitional kindergarten (TK) bridges the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten years. It is the first year of a two-year kindergarten program that has been implemented in California for children who are not old enough yet for kindergarten, but want to build their social, developmental and academic skills.

TK classrooms are taught by a multiple-subject credentialed teacher and the TK curriculum is based on the California Preschool Learning Foundations and the Kindergarten Common Core Standards. TK is offered at select SFUSD Early Education Schools and elementary schools. 

Find more information on SFUSD's webpage about TK expansion, or visit TK California's webpage. 

No, even if a child is TK eligible, parents have a choice of whether they want to enroll their child in TK or preschool.

The eligibility for TK has expanded year-by-year, as part of the gradual rollout of TK as a universal grade for all students in California. To learn more, read about the new state law. 

For the 2025-26 school year, TK is for students who will be turning age 5 between September 2, 2025 and September 1, 2026.

For the 2026-27 school year, TK is for students who will be turning age 5 between September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2027.

(California law requires that children be age 5 on or before September 1 of the school year to be eligible for kindergarten, and age 6 on or before September 1 of the school year to be eligible for first-grade.) See the age chart below.

Students who complete TK at an Elementary School will automatically be promoted to Kindergarten at that school. Students who complete TK at an Early Education School or Mission Education Center in SY 2025-26 will be required to apply for kindergarten the following year and will receive a tiebreaker preference if they choose to continue kindergarten in their attendance area. Beginning in th 2026-27 school year, all TK programs will feed into a specific school for Kindergarten as part of the new TK Feeder system.

View the age requirements by grade on the Enrollment Center webpage. 

TK is offered at most SFUSD elementary schools, as well as at some K-8 schools and Early Education Schools.

View the full list of schools offering TK for the 2026-27 school year: 

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If you are interested in learning about specific schools, you can find school information, including school videos, at the Discover SFUSD Schools page. 

Applying for TK is similar to the application and enrollment process for elementary school grades.

For the 2024-2025 school year, families can enroll their student to begin immediately at any school with open seats, by submitting the online application or contacting the Enrollment Center.

For the 2025-26 school year, families should complete the 2025-26 application online, or contact the Enrollment Center. Submit your application before the Main Round application deadline on January 31, 2025. Visit sfusd.edu/apply for more information. If you submit the Main Round application, you will receive your school assignment letter the week of March 17, 2025. 

Beginning with the 2026-27 enrollment cycle, SFUSD is introducing a new TK Feeder System, which creates two improvements:

1. Ensure every family has a TK program for their attendance area. If your attendance area school does not have room to open a TK classroom within the school, you can apply to the TK Feeder Program located at a nearby Early Education school and benefit from the Attendance Area tiebreaker.
2. Ensure every TK student has a guaranteed Kindergarten seat. TK students are automatically promoted to Kindergarten at their same elementary school. If your student attends TK at an Early Education school in SY 2026-27, they will be promoted to the connected elementary school for SY 2027-28.

The new TK Feeder System does not impact students already enrolled in TK in SY 2025-26. 

Visit sfusd.edu/tkfeeder for more information.
 

If you have a student in TK in the 2025-26 school year, you do not need to submit an application for Kindergarten unless...

• You wish to change schools for Kindergarten.
• You wish to change programs for Kindergarten, at the same school (e.g. in General Education TK, but want to get into the school's language program that starts in Kindergarten).
• Your student is enrolled in a standalone early education site (PK and TK only)
• Your student is enrolled in Mission Education Center TK (K-5 is for Newcomer students only)

If you fit into any of those four categories listed above, submit your Main Round application between October 17, 2025 and January 30, 2026. Go to sfusd.edu/apply for more information.

Beginning with TK students in the 2026-27 school year, TK students in early education schools will also not need to submit Kindergarten applications, because they will be automatically promoted to their feeder elementary school for Kindergarten in SY 2027-28.

No, it does not.

If you have a student currently enrolled in an elementary school TK program, they will be automatically promoted in their same school and program for Kindergarten. You do not need to submit an application if that's your desired outcome.

You have the option to submit an application if you wish to transfer to a different school or program. If you do submit an application, you should do so by the Main Round application deadline. You can list schools and programs that you prefer more than your current school and program. If we are not able to assign your student to one of their requested programs, they will keep their enrollment at their current school and program. You don't lose your spot because you applied elsewhere. 

Additionally, we will automatically place your student on waitlists for up to their top 3 choices after the Main Round. They can remain enrolled at their current school while you wait to get into your requested schools. We will notify you between April and August if a seat becomes available for your student at one of their choices, and you will have the opportunity to accept or decline the offer to transfer at that point. 

If you are applying for your student to enter TK for 26-27, 

• Find all the TK options above, in the section "Which SFUSD Schools are offering TK?", or view them in a map view here
• If your attendance area elementary school has TK, you will qualify for the Attendance Area tiebreaker when you apply there. If it does not, you can get the Attendance Area tiebreaker when you apply to the TK feeder program connected with your attendance area school. Visit sfusd.edu/tkfeeder for more information about Feeders. View all the tiebreakers that come into play during the student assignment system on sfusd.edu/tiebreakers.
• Remember that if your student enrolls in TK at an elementary school, they will have the option to remain there in the same program for Kindergarten without having to submit an application next year. 

For more information on TK including eligibility for upcoming school years, tiebreakers, and a list of frequently asked questions, view our TK expansion page. 

You can also contact the Enrollment Center at (415) 241-6085 with any additional questions.