With state legislation taking effect this fall that requires all school districts to offer transitional kindergarten, local districts have opened up registration to their programs for next school year.

The law requires districts to add free, and optional, transitional kindergarten (TK) programs for children who will turn 5 between Sept. 2 and Feb. 2, 2023.

The Menlo Park City School District describes TK as blending "preschool and readiness standards for kindergarten with a focus on hands-on, experiential learning and play."

The district's new TK program is set to open in fall 2022, offering a half-day program with morning or afternoon sessions. Thirty-eight students were enrolled in the new program as of April 14, according to a staff presentation made to the district's governing board. Menlo Park district staff estimated earlier this year that about 250 to 300 students will enroll.

Based on current enrollment demands, the district will be offering TK at one centralized location: Laurel Lower Campus in Atherton. A TK Parent Information Night is set for May 25 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Zoom.

The district has partnered with its preschool, Early Learning Center, to offer fee-based options for extended, early and late child care.

For questions regarding enrollment, contact the registrar at registrar@mpcsd.org or 650-321-7140 x5600. Register here.

The Ravenswood City School District already offers TK, but will expand its program to all 4-year-olds next school year. There are slots at all of its three elementary schools: Belle Haven in Menlo Park, and Costaño School of the Arts and Los Robles-Ronald McNair Academy in East Palo Alto.

For questions, call or text 650-384-7797, or visit the district office at 2120 Euclid Ave. in East Palo Alto. You can also call each school to schedule a visit. Register here.

Registration is open in the Portola Valley School District, which also will be offering TK to all 4-year-olds next school year. So far 38 kids have registered for TK in the district, Superintendent Roberta Zarea said in an April 25 email.

Register here. The website includes a slideshow and video presentation from a January TK orientation meeting.

Parents or guardians can register for the Las Lomitas Elementary School District's new TK program, which will be offered at its only elementary school, Las Lomitas in Atherton, for children who turn 5 by Feb. 2, 2023.

The district estimates it will have about 46 students, spread across two TK classrooms, according to an April 13 staff report. Staff expects the program to grow to about 90 students by the 2025-26 school year.

Visit the district office, 1011 Altschul Ave. in Menlo Park, which is open during the school year from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, or call 650-854-2880 with any questions. Register here.

The Woodside Elementary School District, which already offers TK, will expand its program to students who turn 5 before Feb. 2, 2023 next school year.

Contact Cathy Stienstra at 650-851-1571 ext. 4004 or cstienstra@woodsideschool.us for information. Register here.

Future TK requirements

During the 2023-24 school year, schools must offer TK to children who turn 5 between September 2023 and April 2023.

The law requires that districts offer free education to all 4-year-olds once it is fully implemented during the 2025-26 school year. Some districts, like Portola Valley, are immediately adopting the 2025-26 requirements.