Kindergarten in California

The public school system in California provides free education for children, grades K-12, assigned by school district by neighborhood of residence. In some school districts, such as Palo Alto and Cupertino locally, residency documentation is required to enroll. For students coming from other countries or states, checking with the new school district as soon as possible to enroll is recommended, as districts in close proximity to Stanford are often impacted and children may be sent to over-flow schools when necessary.

Kindergarten Entry Changes for 2012-13

Senate Bill (SB) 1381 (Chapter 705, Statues of 2010) amended California Education Code (Section 46300, 48000, and 48010) to change the required birthday for admission to kindergarten and first grade and established a transitional kindergarten program beginning in the 2012–2013 school year.

Child Age
A child shall be admitted to a kindergarten maintained by the school district at the beginning of a school year, or at a later time in the same year if the child will have his or her fifth birthday on or before one of the following dates (EC 48000[a]):

For the 2010–11 school year the date is December 2
For the 2011–12 school year the date is December 2
For the 2012–13 school year the date is November 1
For the 2013–14 school year the date is October 1
For the 2014–15 school year and each school year thereafter the date is September 1.

FAQ's from the State on Transitional Kindergarten

Please check with your neighborhood school or local school district for more specific information on kindergarten in your area. Private schools may or may not follow the Kindergarten entry guidelines above and are not required to provide a transitional kindergarten.

Local School Districts

Palo Alto Unified School District

Menlo Park City School District

Ravenswood City School District

Redwood City School District

Mountain View Whisman School District

Los Altos School DIstrict

Sunnyvale School District