Early Education

The Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) recognizes that early education is foundational to lifelong learning, equitable opportunity, and community well-being. High quality early childhood programs nurture the cognitive, social-emotional, and physical development of children from birth through age five, preparing them for success in kindergarten and beyond.

PAUSD’s early learning ecosystem includes a range of programs that collectively support children and families,

● Early Education Plan

● Preschool Foundation Standards

● TK Curriculum Guide (June 2027)

● Special Education Preschool

Programs

Greendell Early Education Site

Transitional Kindergarten

The Transitional Kindergarten (TK) program is the first year of a two-year kindergarten program. It uses a TK curriculum and guide that is age- and developmentally-appropriate and based on the California Preschool/Transitional Kindergarten Learning Foundations. Pursuant to law, (EC 48000[c]), a child is eligible for Transitional Kindergarten only if a child will have his or her fifth birthday on or after the dates in the above table of the school year in which they wish to be enrolled. PAUSD does not allow for early-age entry into the TK program.

PAUSD has TK classrooms at seven elementary schools: Barron Park, Duveneck, El Carmelo, Fairmeadow, Greendell, Palo Verde, and Walter Hays. PAUSD will place TK students in the school that is in the same cluster as the student's neighborhood elementary school (if space is available); for a full explanation of "neighborhood school" and "cluster", please visit the PAUSD School Placement & Transfers web page. TK students will be enrolled for Kindergarten in the neighborhood elementary school.

Site	Schedule	# of TK Classrooms
Fairmeadow	8:15-11:25	2
Barron Park	8:25-11:35	2
Hays	8:25-11:35	2
Duveneck	8:05-11:15	2
Greendell	8:45-11:55	2
El Carmelo	8:35-11:45	1
Palo Verde	8:15-11:25	1

Eligibility

Birth Date Range Grade	2026-27 School Year	2027-28 School Year
09/02/2021 to 09/01/2022	TK
09/02/2022 to 09/01/2023		TK

Kindergarten & TK Information Night Presentation
February 2, 2026

Young Fives

Applications for 2026-2027 are closed. You may still apply to the waitlist.

The Young Fives program at the Hoover Elementary is offered to children who are eligible for kindergarten but are not ready to enter kindergarten. The program is designed for children who exhibit signs of immaturity or youngness that may prevent them from succeeding in kindergarten and future school years. Our Young Fives students have late summer birthdays.

Our Mission

For children:

To build confidence
To prepare them for kindergarten
To love learning and school

For families:

To understand four and five-year-olds and their development
To be involved in their child’s education
To build community

Young Fives Schedule

Monday-Friday 8:30am-12:30pm
Extended Day (begins in mid-October)
Young Fives students attend extended day either Monday/Tuesday or Thursday/Friday from 12:30pm-1:30pm

Application Process

Enrollment is based on demonstrated need. Here's what to do:

Attend Information Night – TBD for 2027-28
Complete the application – Available from Greendell School office or by emailing Fiona Gersh
Register with PAUSD – Required for all families
Student Exploration Day – TBD for 2027-28

IEP students – Placement determined collaboratively with your IEP team and case manager.

Early Education Committee Work

Dr. Judy Jaramillo Argumedo
Early Education Administrator

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