This story was reported in part by EdSource.
In its drive to achieve universal pre-kindergarten, California has made significant progress — 62% of 4-year-olds were enrolled in publicly funded early childhood programs in 2024-2025, up from 42% in 2019-2020, according to a new Learning Policy Institute report. Transitional kindergarten alone enrolled 55% of 4-year-olds last year, or about 177,000 children. But access remains uneven: nearly 4 in 10 of the state’s 4-year-olds still aren’t enrolled, and the share of eligible children actually signing up has declined.
Families may be unaware that TK is an option for their children, or they may face other barriers to enrolling. This school year marks the first time every 4-year-old in California was guaranteed a TK spot.
In Oakland, the phased expansion of transitional kindergarten has shifted the makeup of other early childhood education options. Many families qualify for subsidized preschool or Head Start programs, while others choose private care. Between 2021 and 2025, the proportion of 4-year olds in OUSD preschools — primarily serving low-income families — decreased by 7%, likely as those kids moved into public TK, while the share of 3-year-olds in those programs increased by 14%, according to a report from Oakland Starting Smart and Strong.
The transitional kindergarten expansion has meant higher demand and long waitlists in some neighborhoods, while some seats remain empty in schools in other neighborhoods. About 1,400 students are enrolled in transitional kindergarten in OUSD this year, up from 1,200 last year and around 1,000 during the 2023-2024 school year. Districts 1, 2, and 4 in OUSD had hundreds of families on waitlists for transitional kindergarten, while some schools in districts 6 and 7, in East Oakland, had seats to fill.
OUSD’s facilities master plan recommends district leadership prioritize building out the infrastructure to support more growth in transitional kindergarten enrollment.
“TK growth cannot be addressed solely through programmatic changes; it requires intentional capital investment in classrooms, restrooms, outdoor learning areas, food services, and drop-off infrastructure designed specifically for young learners,” the January 2026 plan states. “Many existing elementary schools were not built with universal TK in mind, and retrofitting space without capital support places strain on both instructional quality and building systems.”
Because of outsized demand and strained facilities, OUSD is planning additional transitional kindergarten “hub sites,” which would serve families seeking spots in schools that have no more room. In the fall, OUSD is adding a TK class at its Burbank Early Learning Center, in the Millsmont neighborhood, for families in the Glenview attendance area, and a TK class at the Hintil Child Development Center in the East Oakland Hills, for families zoned for Sequoia. A hub is in development at Carl B. Munck Elementary for families from Montclair Elementary and Thornhill Elementary, and district officials are planning one more hub to serve families zoned for Crocker Highlands Elementary and Cleveland Elementary students. A dual language hub is also in the works, slated to open in 2027.
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