Pre-kindergarten (TK)

Pre-Kindergarten (PK) has replaced our program formerly known as Transitional Kindergarten (TK). This change has happened gradually over the past few years, expanding the age eligibility range each year for children to enroll in IUSD's PK program.  IUSD will serve the educational needs of all 4 year-olds by the 2025-26 school year and beyond.

A parent meeting will be hosted by each elementary school on Thursday, March 5, 2026.

Please visit your assigned neighborhood elementary school's website for the time.

Prior to the event on March 5th, we ask that all parents watch IUSD’s Welcome to PK & Kindergarten Parent Information Presentation and review the electronic resources below.

The age requirement for Pre-Kindergarten (PK), formerly known as Transitional Kindergarten includes all children who turn 4 years of age on or before September 1.

 Click Here for the Flyer

View Additional Information Below:

• Indicators for School Success - Readiness Tips for Parents

Enrollment for the current year is ongoing. 

1. Enrollment for the 2026-27 school year will begin on March 6, 2026.  You can enroll through the IUSD's online enrollment process. Students who meet the age eligibility requirements will automatically be enrolled in PK.

2. To access the health documents necessary for enrollment, click on the link:

   • Immunization Requirements

3. Once the enrollment has been completed, your assigned school will process it and contact you once it has been finalized.  This may take a few weeks if you are enrolling for the 2026-27 school year.  Please visit your assigned school's website for additional information.

4. If there is no space or availability at your assigned neighborhood school, your child will be placed at the closest site that has space availability through our displacement process.

Over the last five years, Pre-Kindergarten (PK) replaced our previous program known as Transitional Kindergarten (TK). This change gradually phased to include all 4 year-olds by the 2025-26 school year.

Historically, TK has served as the first year of a two year Kindergarten program.  PK will represent a true bridge between Preschool and Kindergarten.  PK is taught by a credentialed teacher with early childhood expertise, utilizing a unique specialized curriculum that is aligned with the Preschool Learning Foundations and Kindergarten Common Core standards.  PK instruction is explicitly designed to support the range of social-emotional, physical, and academic needs of developing four year-olds. The PK environment will include many opportunities for fine and gross-motor activities, oral language development, and social-emotional learning. IUSD's PK program prioritizes intentional teaching that is hands-on and child-centered,  purposeful structured play, and small-group instruction.

PK will provide our youngest learners with a strong foundation for school readiness so that students enter Kindergarten prepared to learn and thrive!

• IUSD's Continuum of Standards: This is IUSD's continuum of standards that outlines the bridge between the Preschool Learning Foundations and the Kindergarten Common Core Standards.  It is a roadmap for the standards taught - acknowledging the progression of skill development along the continuum.
• California Learning Foundations: The Foundations provide an overview of the key knowledge and skills that most preschool children can achieve when provided with interaction, instruction, and an environment that is based on the research of early experiences shown to promote early learning and development.

What is the difference between PK (formally TK) and Kindergarten?
The Pre-Kindergarten classroom will provide a developmentally appropriate thematic-based curriculum. The curriculum is a hybrid between the California Preschool Learning Foundations and the California Common Core Standards for Kindergarten. Students in the PK program will be provided a program that will bridge their early childhood experiences to those of the public school system.
 

Is my child required to go to a PK class if their birthday falls within the cutoff date?
No, it is an optional program for families.
 

Can my child enter kindergarten if they are eligible for the PK class?
No, students must turn 5 on or before September 1st to enter kindergarten.
 

Will there be transportation to the schools offering PK classes?
No, again, PK is not compulsory, and transportation would be cost-prohibitive. It is the parents' responsibility to transport their children to their PK program.
 

Can my child participate in PK if his/her birthday is in August?
IUSD’s PK program is designed for children who turn four years old between September 2 and September 1 of the following year. Children with August birthdays will be five years old by the start of the school year and are therefore eligible for Kindergarten, not PK.

To learn more about Universal PK (Transitional Kindergarten), please visit:

• California Department of Education - Universal Prekindergarten FAQ
• TK California

For more information on before/after school care, please visit the City of Irvine at:

• Irvine Child Care Project
• On-Site Before/After School Care Program Listing