Board adopts TK feeder policy to link early-education TK sites with neighborhood elementary schools

The San Francisco Unified School District Board of Education voted to update student assignment policy 5101 to create consistent transitional kindergarten (TK) feeder pathways from early‑education sites into neighborhood elementary schools.

Under the policy adopted by the board, TK classrooms that operate at stand‑alone early‑education centers or at the Mission Education Center will be assigned a designated neighborhood elementary school. Families who choose TK at those early‑education sites will receive the same attendance‑area tiebreaker and an automatic promotion to kindergarten at the corresponding elementary school unless they later apply elsewhere.

Why it matters: The change aims to equalize the administrative experience for families. Previously, children enrolled in TK on an elementary campus advanced automatically to kindergarten at that campus, while TK students at early‑education sites had to apply again for kindergarten. The new feeders standardize access, reduce duplicative lottery steps for many families and increase predictability for TK families who attend early‑education sites.

What the policy does and how it will be implemented - For the 2026–27 application cycle and thereafter, each early‑education TK program will be paired with a specific neighborhood elementary school to which its TK students will be promoted automatically at kindergarten entry unless the family chooses another option. Families will indicate a preferred kindergarten feeder when they apply for TK. - The district said it will use existing tiebreakers (attendance area, siblings) tied to the assigned kindergarten when awarding TK seats at early‑education sites. - The administration recommended a one‑year grandfathering of pre‑K families who enrolled at an early‑education site under an earlier understanding that they would receive priority; those families keep the tiebreaker they expected for the coming year.

Concerns raised during board review: District staff and community presenters flagged three recurring issues during outreach: - Proximity: Some early‑education sites and their assigned elementary feeders are up to about a mile apart. Staff said the district will continue to identify additional classrooms and revise feeders where possible to shorten commutes. - Two elementary schools (Alice Fong Yu and Lilienthal) currently do not have identified TK capacity linked to an early‑education feeder; staff said they will continue to search for available classrooms to add those feeders. - Pre‑K expectations: A subset of pre‑K families at early‑education sites expected a direct TK seat at their site. The board’s policy includes a temporary tiebreaker for those families so they are not disadvantaged in this implementation year.

Board action: The board approved the update to policy 5101. The motion and vote were recorded by roll call during the meeting; the board president announced the motion passed (vote recorded in meeting minutes).

What’s next: The administration will publish application details for the 2026–27 TK/K cycle and begin assigning the feeder patterns described in the policy. Staff said additional adjustments will be made if and when more TK classroom capacity is identified at neighborhood elementary sites.

Who spoke for the district: Assistant Superintendent Christine Herrera and Enrollment Center staff presented the proposal and described the outreach, the feeder lists and the implementation timeline. The board discussed tradeoffs and asked staff to refine start‑time and commute details for families with children at both sites.