Procedure:

Determining Factors for Enrollment Eligibility

The following chart is helpful to determine enrollment eligibility in Kindergarten or Transitional Kindergarten, based on the birth date of the student. Note--Enrollment in all JCS programs is based on availability.

Program	Indicator of Enrollment Eligibility, ordered by Priority	Enrollment Priority Determination
Kindergarten	5th birthday on/before Sept. 1 5th birthday on/before first day of enrollment	Lottery Birth date
Transitional Kindergarten (TK)	5th birthday between Sept. 2 and Dec. 2 5th birthday between June 1 and Sept 1 5th birthday on/before first day of enrollment	Lottery Lottery Birth date
Spring TK **Spring Semester ONLY	5th birthday between June 1 and first day of Spring Semester 5th birthday on/before first day of enrollment	Lottery Birth date

Kindergarten for Students with a 5th birthday by September 1 (age-eligible Kindergarten)

According to the CDE, Kindergarten is for children who turn five on or before September 1 (EC 48000[a]). Eligibility for Kindergarten is on the basis of age only.

Admission to JCS Schools is based on availability; therefore, age-eligible Kindergarten students may be enrolled according to the JCS Lottery Enrollment Procedures.

TK for Students with a 5th birthday between September 2 and December 2 (age-eligible TK)

According to the CDE, Transitional Kindergarten (TK) is for children who turn five between September 2 and December 2 (EC 48000[c]) and is the first year of a two year kindergarten program that uses age-appropriate curriculum aligned to the Common Core State Standards.

Admission to JCS Schools is based on availability; therefore, age-eligible TK students may be enrolled according to the JCS Lottery Enrollment Procedures.

TK for Students with a 5th birthday between June 1 and September 1 (age-eligible Kindergarten)

Children who are age-eligible to attend kindergarten may elect to enroll in TK according to the following guidelines for Home Study and Academy programs:

Home Study

A Kindergarten Continuance Form is signed, verifying that the parent/guardian agrees to have his/her child continue in kindergarten for one additional year.

Academy

Priority enrollment will be given to age-eligible TK students. Age-eligible Kindergarten students will be placed on a TK Interest List

The order of the Interest List will be determined by a lottery.

At a date determined by charter administration, if there is space in the program to enroll an age-eligible Kindergarten student in TK, priority will be given according to the Interest List.

At any point, an age-eligible TK student will have priority enrollment over an age-eligible Kindergarten student on the Interest List.

If the age-eligible Kindergarten student is enrolled in TK, a Kindergarten Continuance Form is signed, verifying that the parent/guardian agrees to have his/her child continue in kindergarten for one additional year.

Spring TK for Students with a 5th birthday between June 1 and the first day of the Spring Semester

Mid-year Transitional Kindergarten programs may be offered in the Spring Semester of the school year. Students with a 5th birthday on/before the first day of the Spring Semester are age-eligible to enroll in Spring TK based on the JCS Lottery Enrollment Procedures.

TK Enrollment for Age-Ineligible Students (non-ADA)

Pursuant to AB 104, EC 48000(c)(3)(B)(i) a school district or charter school may, at any time during a school year (including at the beginning of the school year) admit a child to a TK program who will have his or her fifth birthday after December 2 but during that same school year, with the approval of the parent or guardian, if the governing board of the school district or the governing body of the charter school determines that the admittance is in the best interests of the child and the parent or guardian is given information regarding the advantages and disadvantages and any other explanatory information about the effect of this early admittance. Average Daily Attendance (ADA) can be claimed for these students once they attain the age of five (EC 48000(c)(B)(ii)). To clarify, ADA may not be retroactively claimed from the start of the school year, and LEAs may only begin claiming attendance for these students once they turn five after December 2.

The JCS Governing Board acknowledges that early education is in the best interests of the student; therefore, non-ADA TK students may be enrolled in a JCS Home Study or Academy program according to the following guidelines:

Priority enrollment will be given to age-eligible TK and Kindergarten students. Non-ADA TK students will be placed on an Interest List.

The order of the Interest List will be determined by birth date.

An enrollment lottery will be held to determine waitlist placement for students with the same birth date.

At a date determined by charter administration, if there is space in the program to enroll non-ADA TK students, priority will be given according to the Interest List.

At any point, an age-eligible TK or Kindergarten student will have priority enrollment over a non-ADA TK student on the Interest List.

Once a student is enrolled, the school may not retract enrollment based on priority.

On the student’s 5th birthday, he/she becomes an age-eligible TK student.

Note: Non-ADA TK students who are enrolled with JCS Home Study will have full access to the JCS Resource Center Lending Library but no additional funding for personalized learning.

Students ineligible for TK

Students with a 5th birthday before June 1 are ineligible for TK in the fall of the year the student turns 5-years-old. Students with a 5th birthday after March 31 are ineligible for TK in the fall of the year before the students turns 5-years-old.

Immunization Requirements

According to the CDE, all students enrolled in a public school are required to meet Kindergarten Immunization Requirements before admission to a TK or Kindergarten program. If admitted, non-ADA TK students are enrolled students and must comply with immunization requirements.

Original Procedure: 06/05/2020