Kindergarten: admission: transitional kindergarten: professional development requirements.

(1) Existing law requires a school district to admit a child to a kindergarten maintained by the school district if the child will have their 5th birthday on or before September 1, as provided. Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district to admit to a kindergarten a child having attained the age of 5 years at any time during the school year, as provided. This bill would make the above provisions applicable to a charter school or a governing body of a charter school, as provided. To the extent this bill would add new requirements on a charter school, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law authorizes a school district or charter school to maintain a transitional kindergarten program. Existing law requires a school district or charter school to, as a condition of receipt of apportionment for pupils in a transitional kindergarten program, commencing with the 2025–26 school year, and for each year thereafter, maintain an average of at least 1 adult for every 10 pupils for transitional kindergarten classrooms. This bill would require, commencing with the 2025–26 school year, that any adult, with certain exceptions, assigned to a transitional kindergarten classroom be provided, or begin to be provided, at least 48 hours of professional development, as specified, and would require the school district or charter school to provide this professional development, as provided. The bill also would make conforming changes. (3) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.