The TK program provides an additional year of schooling for younger children to help them develop important skills and prepares them for kindergarten. Studies show that early education programs like TK can have significant benefits for children including improved academic performance, better social-emotional skills, and increased school readiness. It is highly recommended that you consider enrolling your child in TK if they turn five between September 2, 2025 and September 1, 2026.
Cost: TK is a state-funded program; there is no cost to parents for enrolling their child in TK.
Purpose: The goal of the Transitional Kindergarten (TK) program is to give younger children an extra year of preparation before entering kindergarten, with a focus on social-emotional development, language, literacy, and numeracy.
Enrollment: Children who were born between 9/2/2020 and 9/1/2021 are eligible to enroll in TK. Enrollment in TK is optional, and parents can choose to enroll their child in TK or wait to enroll their child in school until they are old enough to enter kindergarten the following year. To be eligible for kindergarten this year, a child must be five years old on or before September 1, 2025.
Classroom: The classroom setting for TK is designed to support younger students in a half-day split educational program. (PJUSD offers an optional expanded day for parents who need someone to care for their children beyond these hours). The TK Classroom will focus on play-based learning and structured activities. TK classrooms have a lower student-to-teacher ratio than kindergarten classrooms.
Kinder Challenge: As with neighboring districts, PJUSD will not offer a challenging process for four year old children to enter kindergarten from a preschool program starting this year.
Importance of Early Education: Overall, the TK program provides an additional year of schooling for younger children to help them develop important skills and prepare for kindergarten. Studies show that early education programs like TK can have significant benefits for children including improved academic performance, better social-emotional skills, and increased school readiness. It is highly recommended that you consider enrolling your child in TK if they turn five between September 2, 2025, and September 1, 2026.
Hours: 8:00 - 11:50 AM or 11:15 - 3:05 PM
