Join the San Lorenzo Unified School District
The San Lorenzo school district is welcoming new students in its transitional kindergarten (TK) and kindergarten programs for the 2023-24 school year, continuing an emphasis on helping young children make a successful journey into first grade and beyond.
For the coming year, students are eligible for TK if they were born from Sept. 2, 2018, through April 2, 2019. Incoming kindergarten students must have turned 5 by Sept. 1, 2023. A three-year phase-in of TK will continue over the next two years, culminating in eligibility in 2025-26 for all children who turn 4 by Sept. 1.
The district is part of a $2.7 billion statewide TK initiative, launched in 2021, which seeks to provide a bridge into classroom learning. The state will add universal preschool in 2025.
“The state essentially approved another grade level for students in California, so it’s a big move,” said Dr. Daryl Camp, SLZUSD superintendent.
Attend Family TK/K Info Nights on Feb. 1
The district just completed a series of parent information nights at all nine of its elementary schools. Parents who could not attend can call their neighborhood school for additional information or visit this district webpage for step-by-step instructions on enrolling their child.
This year, the elementary schools have a combined total of 135 TK students, all of whom turned 4 by Feb. 2, 2022. The ratio of students to teachers and teaching assistants is 12:1, with a plan to achieve a 10:1 ratio by 2025-26 thanks to increasing state support. The district’s TK enrollment is up by nearly a third over 2021-22.
'An Extra Year of Free Education'
Teacher Christopher Auad, a 24-year veteran teacher who teaches TK at Corvallis Elementary, said the program provides children with a structured setting where students are introduced to teacher-guided learning, while developing independence and social skills that prepare them for an increasingly rigorous kindergarten experience.
Calling TK “an extra year of free education,” Auad said it is definitely more than an extension of preschool.
“I tell parents it’s not baby school; it’s real school to get them ready for kindergarten,” he said. “As an educator, it’s awesome to see them have that growth and become independent, confident students ready to learn in kindergarten.”
