District staff on Tuesday laid out a plan to expand transitional kindergarten (TK) across all Los Gatos Union School District elementary sites for the 2025–26 school year and described how the district will manage enrollment, site assignments and staffing if state rules change.

The staff recommendation, presented by Amy Liang, Director of Technology Assessment and Accountability, and Mary Lanhardt, principal of RJ Fisher Middle School, said the district will plan for both a 1 adult to 10 students ratio and a 1 adult to 12 students ratio because the state has reversed course on the ratio previously and funding remains uncertain. “We are planning for both scenarios for both a 1 to 10 ratio and a 1 to 12 ratio, just in case,” Liang said.

Why it matters: California is phasing TK eligibility; by 2025–26 all 4‑year‑olds will be eligible. Districts receive little or no additional state funding for offering TK, so local staffing and facility choices will determine whether the program can meet smaller class-size goals.

Staff projected multiple scenarios. Under a 1:10 scenario with eight TK classrooms (capacity ~53 students in staff’s estimate), the district would place two classes at Lexington, three at Blossom Hill, one at Van Meter and two at Dave’s. Under a 1:12 scenario with seven classes, staff proposed two at Lexington, two at Blossom Hill, one at Van Meter and two at Dave’s (capacity ~68 in that scenario). If enrollment exceeds those projections staff said a ninth class could be added, likely at Lexington.

Liang said the enrollment projection of “153” cited in the presentation was calculated from prior-year enrollment by month and treated as a conservative lower bound; staff said actual enrollment could be higher once registration opens and families make site choices. “That number was calculated based off of prior enrollment and then just looking at other grade levels enrollment,” a staff member explained.

Registration and assignment: The district will hold information nights (Jan. 21 and Jan. 28 noted in the presentation), accept registrations through Feb. 28 for initial placement, and—if needed—hold a lottery on March 7 for seats filled by Feb. 28. Parents will indicate site preferences; the district will give sibling priority first and homeschool (attendance-area) priority next when assigning seats. Staff said families who complete registration and forms by Feb. 28 will be entered into that initial placement process.

Staff emphasized outreach. Board members urged multiple information nights, recordings and targeted messaging from each school so families understand options and site‑priority rules. “We can clarify our communication as well,” a board member said during the discussion.

Remaining uncertainties: Staff repeatedly flagged two open questions that could affect final decisions—whether the state will require or fund a 1:10 adult-to-student ratio for 2025–26 and what, if any, penalties would follow if a district operates at 1:12 when the state’s guidance calls for 1:10. Staff said they would research those compliance and fiscal consequences and return with details.

Next steps: Staff will conduct the information nights, open registration, run a lottery only if needed, and notify families of TK assignments by March 14 (per the presentation timeline). The district also said it will monitor state budget decisions and confirm final staffing plans by June.

For now the district will staff its plans to be able to operate under either ratio and add classrooms if enrollment requires it.