Information for the 2023-2024 School Year
SPUSD will again offer Transitional Kindergarten (TK) for South Pasadena residents for the 2023-2024 school year. Children born between September 2, 2018 and April 2, 2019 are eligible to enroll. Due to space limitations, SPUSD does not make exceptions for admitting students to TK who are born after the April 2, 2019 cut-off date. They will be eligible to enroll in Kindergarten the following year.
Information for the 2024-2025 School Year
SPUSD will again offer Transitional Kindergarten (TK) for South Pasadena residents for the 2024-2025 school year. Children born between September 2, 2019 and June 2, 2020 are eligible to enroll. Due to space limitations,SPUSD does not make exceptions for admitting students to TK who are born after the June 2, 2020 cut-off date. They will be eligible to enroll in Kindergarten the following year.
TK is a half-day program, with the same beginning and ending times as our regular Kindergarten classes. The morning session (AM) is 8:10 a.m. to 11:35 a.m. and the afternoon session (PM) is 11:35 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Please be aware that vaccination requirements apply to TK students, and students must be fully vaccinated prior to the start of school. Unless you have a medical exemption from a Medical Doctor (MD or DO in California) stating that your child should not receive vaccinations for a medical reason, your child may not be officially enrolled or attend class until your child has received all vaccinations required by the state of California for your child’s age range. As of January 1, 2021, California law states that any previous medical exemptions that were written on paper, or any new medical exemptions must now be entered in the California Immunization Registry for Medical Exemptions (CAIR-ME) online database when entering a new school or the next grade span (7th grade). Parents can request exemptions from their doctor via this website: https://cair.cdph.ca.gov/exemptions/home.
California no longer allows parents to sign a Personal or Religious beliefs waiver for vaccinations. If your child is currently up to date with his/her immunizations and additional doses cannot be given during the time of registration but are due at a later date, your child may be conditionally enrolled. Your child will not be allowed to attend even the first day of class without being fully up to date on his or her immunizations. The state does not allow any exceptions to this requirement. An alternate schedule of vaccination is not permitted by law even with a doctor’s letter.
The Kindergarten Readiness Act, signed into law in 2010, is a historic reform to kindergarten education that gives California an unparalleled opportunity to ensure that our state’s youngest children are better prepared to succeed in kindergarten and beyond. The Kindergarten Readiness Act, SB 1381 by Senator Simitian, created transitional kindergarten, the first year of a two-year kindergarten experience for those students who are born between September and December. It also changed the kindergarten entry date from December 2 to September 1, so children enter kindergarten at age 5. The law phases in the new age requirement by moving the cutoff date one month a year for three years, beginning in the fall of 2012.
Across the state of California, the kindergarten entry date changed over three years as follows:
2012-2013: 5 years of age on or before Nov. 1
2013-2014: 5 years of age on or before Oct. 1
2014-2015: 5 years of age on or before Sept. 1
A child will be eligible for transitional kindergarten if they have their 5th birthday between:
September 2 and April 2 for the 2023-2024 school year
September 2 and June 2 for the 2024-2025 school year
4th Birthday by September 1 for the 2025-2026 school year
Regarding AB 104, EC 48000(c)(3)(B)(I)
For information on how to register for Transitional Kindergarten, please follow the directions on the Elementary Registration page
here.