Friday, August 14, 2026

Classes Resume Monday With Transitional Kindergarten Open to Every Four-Year-Old

[photo credit: PUSD]

The Pasadena Unified School District year begins Aug. 17, the second under California’s completed universal prekindergarten expansion

Pasadena Unified School District students return to class Monday, opening a school year in which transitional kindergarten is available to every four-year-old in California for the second year running.

“I want to welcome back all students at all levels to a new year,” Interim City Manager Matthew E. Hawkesworth said, wishing them new adventures and chances to make friends. He encouraged students to try their best and stay curious, telling them their impact starts on day one.

The first day of the 2026-2027 year is Monday, Aug. 17, and the first semester begins the same day, according to the district. Teachers were on duty for staff development Aug. 12 and 13, and Aug. 14 was a teacher-driven, pupil-free day. The district says it is “excited to welcome students and families” and has published a welcome kit carrying the year calendar, bell schedules, after-school programs and other resources.

Families can map the year now. Thanksgiving break runs Nov. 23 to 27. Winter break runs Dec. 21 through Jan. 1, 2027, spring break falls March 29 to April 2, 2027, and the last day of school is June 3, 2027.

The youngest arrivals enter a program that only recently became universal. Hawkesworth, whose wife has taught for more than 30 years, said she was preparing to welcome her transitional kindergarten class and looking forward to new relationships with co-workers and families.

Transitional kindergarten has existed in California since 2012 but was long limited to children turning five in the fall. That changed with Assembly Bill 130, passed in 2021, which created the state’s Universal Prekindergarten program and required every public school district operating a kindergarten to offer free prekindergarten to all four-year-olds. Eligibility widened in stages beginning in 2022-23, moving the birthday cutoff from Dec. 2 to Feb. 2, then April 2, then June 2, before opening to every four-year-old in 2025-26.

The California Department of Education marked that final stage in a March 2025 letter to superintendents, saying every four-year-old would have access “regardless of background, race, zip code, immigration status, or income level.” Children qualify if they turn four by Sept. 1. The program is free, runs inside the K-12 system, and uses curriculum and facilities built for four-year-olds. It is not mandatory, and families may choose a state preschool program, Head Start or a private preschool instead.

Take-up has climbed steeply. Participation rose from 17% of eligible children to a peak of 83%, and the state has put billions of dollars in one-time and ongoing funding behind the expansion.

Hawkesworth also pointed to a summer of full parks, saying his favorite part of the break was watching families swim and play across the city’s programs, and noted the lighter traffic that comes with school out.

Back-to-school information, including the welcome kit and year calendar, is posted at https://www.pusd.us/departments/communications/back-to-school.