Bill to fund transitional kindergarten in SLO County clears first hurdle
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A bill that would fully fund transitional kindergarten in the San Luis Coastal Unified School District has cleared its first legislative hurdle, Assemblymember Dawn Addis reported Friday at a news conference at Pacheco Elementary School.
Introduced by Addis, the bill is good news for local parents as it aims to provide transitional kindergarten funding to basic-aid school districts.
State law requires districts to offer transitional kindergarten to all 4-year-olds — but for basic-aid districts, like San Luis Coastal, that requirement adds an extra financial burden.
That's because these districts receive funding through local property taxes rather than the state's funding formula — and as the law sits now, they don't receive extra money for transitional kindergarten.
That lack of funding caused a stir at San Luis Coastal in January, when administrators suggested cutting the transitional kindergarten program to help manage the district's $6 million budget deficit.
Parents and teachers showed up in droves to protest the cut, ultimately leading the district to keep the program — but district Superintendent Eric Prater said in a statement at the time that the district would work to seek state funding to help secure the future of transitional kindergarten in the district.
And that's what Addis' bill is hoping to accomplish.
During Friday's news conference, Addis said that her proposed legislation 'fixes the gap by providing state funding for TK to all districts, ensuring equity and honoring the Legislature's original commitment.'
She added that the bill has garnered support from lawmakers.
'I'm very proud to announce today that AB 1391 has passed its first hurdle with bipartisan support from a supermajority of the education committee and no 'no' votes,' Addis said, receiving applause from the audience.
Addis' bill advanced out of the committee on Wednesday on an 8-0 vote and was re-referred to the committee on appropriations, according to the legislative website.
Pacheco Elementary transitional kindergarten teacher Monica Garcia testified before lawmakers in support of the bill, Addis said, and Hawthorne Elementary transitional kindergarten teacher Fiona Lloyd-Moffett delivered letters from her students about the value of the program.
Addis also thanked the parents, teachers and community members who have advocated for transitional kindergarten in SLO County.
'It's a special moment, because we are in a time in our country that is showing historic levels of division, and here in San Luis Obispo County on the Central Coast, we've built a coalition that crosses political divides, brings regular people, government, management and labor all together to work on behalf of our children,' Addis said.
Addis added that she's 'committed to the long haul' to get the bill onto Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk.
Both Garcia and Lloyd-Moffett were also at Friday's conference to speak to the value of transitional kindergarten.
'As TK teachers, we have the joy and privilege every day to see how transitional kindergarten transforms lives. It doesn't just prepare children for school. It shapes who they are and who they will become,' said Lloyd-Moffett. 'TK nurtures the whole child, helping them grow socially, emotionally and academically.'
Garcia continued that message, saying many families in San Luis Coastal rely on transitional kindergarten.
'Transitional kindergarten is not just an option. It is their only access to high-quality learning, and TK provides that stability, that care and that opportunity at a crucial stage of development,' said Garcia. 'TK gives our parents peace of mind, knowing that their children are safe, supported and thriving in a nurturing, engaging environment. TK helps ensure that every 4-year-old, regardless of their life circumstance, gets a strong and fair start during these essential early years.'
San Luis Coastal parent Gina Lopez also spoke at the news conference, saying transitional kindergarten has been transformative for her daughter.
'She has become more confident in expressing herself, more thoughtful in how she connects with others and incredibly eager to learn,' Lopez said. Meanwhile, her other child didn't have the opportunity to go to transitional kindergarten, she said.
'While he's doing well now, I truly believe the early challenges that he faced — reading and writing — could have been lessened with the strong foundation TK provides,' she said.
Lopez added: 'Transitional kindergarten is not just an early start. It's the strong start that every child deserves.'
Superintendent Prater, board member Ellen Sheffer and San Luis Coastal Teachers Association representative and district kindergarten teacher Ingrid Frojker also spoke at the event in support of the proposed legislation.
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