Transitional kindergarten funding secure

By Catherine Atkin

President, Preschool California

www.preschoolcalifornia.org/savekindergarten

I would like to clarify one point in your recent article on transitional kindergarten (TK): School districts should no longer feel like they are in funding limbo with TK. The School Services bulletin mentioned in the article refers to Gov. Brown’s January budget proposal to eliminate TK. Since this initial plan, Gov. Brown has released trailer bill language which states that, even under his proposal, school districts offering TK will get full Average Daily Attendance (ADA) funding.

On March 2, School Services released a follow-up bulletin on TK to confirm the full funding message within Gov. Brown’s trailer bill language. Under current law or the governor’s proposal, school districts will collect full funding for TK.

Districts should keep in mind that the Kindergarten Readiness Act is still law, requiring each district to offer TK in the fall. Preschool California and the Save Kindergarten Coalition hope that school districts uncertain about TK will join the more than 120 California school districts moving forward with TK.