California's efforts to offer high-quality instruction to all four-year olds by 2025 are being challenged by the lack of space.
Transitional kindergarten, or TK, for all four-year-olds has been endorsed as a way to boost declining enrollment and offer universal preschool education. One major roadblock: Some districts just don't have the space.
A lack of state funding makes the problem worse, according to EdSource. Schools in impoverished areas not only lack space, but the resources to add toilets and playground equipment made for four-year-olds.
Some districts, such as Oakland Unified, are now losing potential TK students because of this shortage of space at the schools. As a result, some children end up on a waitlist for their preferred school, and families are choosing to wait until kindergarten to enroll their children.
Statewide, TK enrollment has been lower than expected. According to the California Department of Education, more than 150,000 students were enrolled in TK last school year – far below projections of up to nearly 200,000.
