Important Update on Transitional Kindergarten (TK)

The Mill Valley School District will be offering Transitional Kindergarten (TK) for the 2025-2026 school year. We are grateful for the community's support, including Early Education Marin’s amazing efforts and a generous $500,000 donation from Kiddo!, which made this extension possible. 

Important Dates and Details:

• Registration opens on March 26, 2025, for the 2025-2026 school year.
• Eligibility: Children who turn four years old by September 1, 2025, are eligible to enroll,
• The first round of registration ends on May 2, 2025. We strongly encourage families to register early.

At this time, we can only commit to the one-year extension which is made possible by the support of our community and  budget cuts made by the district. We are committed to working on longer term solutions and advocating at the state level for TK funding for Basic Aid districts.

We understand that these past few months have been challenging and have created uncertainty for both families and preschool providers. We truly appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate these transitions, and we look forward to welcoming our new four-year-old learners!

Q1: How do people submit their proof of residency? Is this needed during registration or sent in after registration?
A1: You can find all the information regarding residency verification on the Mill Valley School District’s FAQ page. Proof of residency is required during registration, and the details of what’s needed are listed on the Verification of Residency page. The Aeries portal also prompts you for the necessary documents as you register, making the process seamless!

Q2: Do I need to submit immunization forms when registering?
A2: Yes, immunization records are absolutely required for registration and should be uploaded when prompted in the Aeries portal. The school nurse will review the documents, and if any required immunizations are missing, they will need to be completed before the first day of school. However, this does not affect your child’s placement, and we will confirm with parents if any issues arise.

Q3: Do we need to create a login or an account on the site before registering?
A3: Yes, if this is the first time you are enrolling your child, you will need to create a login and password. This is part of the initial steps when entering the Aeries portal for registration.

TK Background

Mill Valley School District (MVSD), a Basic Aid district, is incredibly appreciative of the efforts of Early Education Marin, a parent driven fundraising effort that has raised more than $1.5 million to support the district, including a $500,000 donation from Kiddo! This extremely generous amount represents more than half of the $2.2 million operating cost for transitional kindergarten (TK) for the 2025-26 school year.  This funding has enabled a one-year extension of the transitional kindergarten program. 

Since there is no state funding for TK for Basic Aid districts, the Mill Valley School District is not planning TK for 2026-2027 and beyond.  

When transitional kindergarten was announced by Governor Newsom, it was said to be funded.  MVSD is designated as a Basic Aid funded district. About 10% of all school districts in California are also deemed Basic Aid, which means that our property taxes meet/exceed the minimum per pupil expenditure as defined by the state. The other 90% of districts are Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) funded

Key Issues:

1. Basic Aid Status and Funding: Unlike LCFF districts, MVSD does not receive state funding for TK. Although the state mandates all districts offer TK if they offer kindergarten, Basic Aid districts like MVSD are not guaranteed funding to cover the costs of providing this program.
    
2. Financial Impact: The district has struggled with a budget deficit, and has not been able to meet the state’s recommended  minimum reserve target of 25% of district expenses.  While we have  balanced our budget through reductions in staffing and operational costs, the staffing ratio of 1 adult to ten students required for TK is twice what is expected for a single grade level. Without state funding for TK, the district will face a budget shortfall, leading to further staff and program reductions in grades K-8. 

While the district recognizes the benefits of TK, we cannot afford to implement the program without state support.   We are grateful to our community for its support of TK for the 2025-2026 school year.