Parents, county education officials press Mill Valley board to restore transitional kindergarten; community raises funds

Dozens of parents and community members asked the Mill Valley School District board on Tuesday to restore transitional kindergarten (TK) for the coming year, urging the board to open official TK enrollment, accept community donations and use district reserves if necessary.

Marin County Superintendent John Carroll, speaking in his official capacity, told the board he had discussed the matter with the California Department of Education and conveyed its position: "Transitional kindergarten is mandatory for Mill Valley School District and all basic aid school districts," he said, adding the department would pursue “all avenues available including litigation” and could withhold state funding if districts do not comply.

Parents and community fundraisers said the district’s current projection for TK enrollment (about 220 students) does not match their outreach. Sadar Manchanathan, who said the community fundraising campaign had exceeded $500,000 within two weeks, urged the board to open official enrollment now so families and the district could produce accurate counts rather than relying on projections.

Public commenters asked the board to assign a trustee or staff oversight to enrollment decisions, raise concerns that the district’s recently changed enrollment policy removed the wait list (which residents said had provided useful placement data) and criticized what they called inconsistent application of priority enrollment, particularly citing Tamalpais Homestead families.

Several speakers warned of consequences beyond local politics. One commenter said families were considering moving out of the district because of the TK decision; another urged the board to avoid a legal confrontation that would further drain district funds. Supporters of TK also described equity concerns: speakers said mandatory TK is intended to expand access for underserved children and English‑language learners.

Board and staff response Trustees listened but did not reverse course at the meeting. Dr. Kaufman and staff said they were collecting enrollment numbers, continuing demographic studies, and promised to bring enrollment projections to the next board meeting. Community members asked the board to accept donations and use reserves to keep TK open; staff said they would continue to evaluate options and timing.

Ending Parents said they had four weeks to shore up enrollment and funding; county and state officials signaled the issue could escalate to legal or administrative action if the district did not meet the department’s expectations.