Enrollment for the 2022-23 school year is now open.
Preschool Programs
The Child Development Services (CDS) department oversees programs serving preschool-age students throughout the district. The program includes fee-based part and full day programs, as well as state-subsidized programs offering free preschool for qualifying families. Preschool programs occur at John Adams Middle School, Lincoln Child Development Center, McKinley, Muir, and Rogers Elementary schools and Washington West Preschool in Santa Monica and Webster Elementary School in Malibu.
In addition, as part of SMMUSD’s Early Learning Pathway, the district has several Seaside neighborhood preschool programs. The programs are district-aligned, Reggio-inspired, STEAM-enhanced and provide families with a robust program to positively launch their child’s early education experience. These programs are located at Grant, Franklin, McKinley Elementary schools in Santa Monica, and Webster Elementary School serving Malibu families. Edison Language Academy offers a Seaside program as part of its dual immersion Spanish language program.
The early learning pathway is centered around the idea that neighborhood preschool programs are available to students residing in Santa Monica and Malibu. The district’s mission is to foster relationships between families, community and educators creating a seamless transition to elementary school.
TK and Kindergarten Roundup - virtually at your neighborhood school
Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten Roundup, as the yearly event is called, is planned for Jan. 27, 2022 for all schools, except SMASH is Feb. 1. Roundup is an opportunity for Santa Monica and Malibu parents of children entering TK or Kindergarten for the upcoming year to virtually meet the principal and teachers of their neighborhood school, learn about before and after school care, and begin the registration process for the school year.
Due to COVID protocols, Roundup will be held virtually this year. Please see this document to find the registration for your neighborhood school. While kindergarten is offered at every school, TK is not. TK is not guaranteed at your neighborhood school, however, the district makes every attempt to place students in the designated school or close by.
SMMUSD offers TK or Bridges TK classrooms at Webster in Malibu, and McKinley, Rogers, Grant, and Roosevelt, in Santa Monica. Edison Language Academy offers TK Bridges through its lottery enrollment system. All TK programs offer an excellent opportunity for students who have birthdays in a certain range to begin a program that prepares them for kindergarten for the following year. Bridges TK is a neighborhood program that is SMMUSD-aligned, STEAM-enhanced and Reggio-inspired.
California TK Expansion Program
Under the recent state-wide Transitional Kindergarten Expansion Program, SMMUSD will begin to enroll students turning five between September 2 and February 2 for the 2022-23 school year. This initiative rolls up each of the next three years by birthday making TK the entry level into public school for all students throughout the state. Full implementation of the program will be in the 2025-26 school year. In prior years, TK was provided to four-year-old students with birthdays between September 2 and December 2.
For questions about SMMUSD preschool programs, please call the Child Development Services office at (310) 399-5865. For questions about TK or Kindergarten programs, please contact your neighborhood school.
Written by Diana Bouchaaya, Communications Specialist
