Kindergarten and TK registration in PAUSD

Starting school in Palo Alto Unified takes a little planning. Kindergarten registration happens in winter, months before school starts in August. Families who register during the priority window all get equal priority for their neighborhood school. Transitional kindergarten, or TK, has its own rules and its own set of campuses.

This page draws on the district's registration pages, its grade placement table and the slides from its February 2, 2026 TK and kindergarten information night. Dates for 2027 to 2028 that were not yet posted are marked as such. For the full enrollment process for any grade, see our PAUSD enrollment guide.

Age rules for 2027 to 2028

California sets the age cutoffs and PAUSD applies them strictly. A child must turn 5 on or before September 1 to start kindergarten that fall. Starting with the 2025 to 2026 school year, the state made TK available to every child who turns 4 by September 1, completing a phase-in that began in 2022. The district's grade placement table gives these birth date ranges:

PAUSD does not allow early admission to kindergarten or TK. A child born on September 2 waits a year, even by one day. One older line on the district's registration page still refers to a June 2 TK cutoff from the phase-in years. The grade placement table above reflects the current rule.

Kindergarten is not required by law

In California, school attendance becomes compulsory at age 6. Most Palo Alto families still enroll at 5. A child who completed a full year of kindergarten in the United States may enter first grade at the parent's request with documentation. Kindergartners from abroad are placed by age.

Transitional kindergarten

TK is the first year of a two-year kindergarten program. PAUSD uses a curriculum based on the California Preschool and Transitional Kindergarten Learning Foundations. TK classrooms are at seven sites:

• North cluster: Duveneck and Walter Hays.
• West cluster: Barron Park.
• South cluster: El Carmelo, Fairmeadow and Palo Verde.
• Greendell School, the district's early learning campus at 4120 Middlefield Road.

TK does not follow the neighborhood school process. The district places TK students at a site in the same cluster as their neighborhood elementary school when space allows. The child then enrolls in kindergarten at the neighborhood school the following year. That can mean a different campus and a different after-school provider for the TK year, so plan care with that in mind. Our elementary schools guide lists every address.

Young Fives

Young Fives is a separate class for children who are old enough for kindergarten but not ready for it. Entry is by application and child observation. The district's TK page says the class moved from Greendell to Hoover Elementary, 445 East Charleston Road, beginning in fall 2026. Applications come from the Greendell office.

The priority registration window

Priority registration applies only to kindergarten. Every family who completes registration within the window gets equal priority for a seat at the neighborhood school. There is no benefit to being first in line, but registering after the window closes carries real risk of overflow.

PAUSD's registration page still showed the 2026 to 2027 dates in early November 2026 and its important dates page listed no events. Palo Alto Middle College's admissions page says students not enrolled in PAUSD can begin the new student enrollment process starting December 1, 2026, which points to the usual December start. Last cycle the priority deadline fell on the same day as the choice program deadline. Watch the registration page in late November for the official dates.

After the window

After priority registration closes, placement priority goes by the date registration is completed or the date of residency, whichever is later. If the neighborhood school is full, the child may be overflowed to another school in the cluster and automatically waitlisted for the neighborhood school. Families who move to Palo Alto in spring or summer should register as soon as they can. Future residents may register two weeks before their move-in date.

How to register

1. Check your address in the School Finder to confirm you live in PAUSD and to see your neighborhood school. Our school boundaries guide explains how attendance areas work.
2. Complete the online registration through the link on the district's enrollment page, choosing the 2027 to 2028 school year. You will get a confirmation code by email.
3. Gather documents from the required documents list. Missing or noncompliant documents mean the appointment is rescheduled.
4. Book and attend the in-person appointment at Registration Services, 25 Churchill Avenue. The district asks families to allow 30 to 45 minutes and to arrive on time.
5. Wait for placement. For priority registrants, kindergarten notices go out by mid-May and TK notices by June.

Documents to bring

• Parent ID: a photo ID such as a driver's license or original passport. Copies are not accepted.
• Child's ID: the original birth certificate or passport, or an attested baptism certificate. Register the child under the full first and last name on that document.
• Three proofs of residency: one primary document (a property tax bill, a closing statement or a current lease with every page) plus a current Palo Alto Utilities or PG&E bill plus one more item from the district's list.
• Immunization records: official records from a health provider showing the vaccines California requires for school entry.
• TB risk assessment: completed by a U.S. health professional. Children transferring from another Santa Clara County school are exempt.
• Any IEP or 504 plan: signed copies, if your child already has one.

California also requires an oral health assessment for children in their first year of public school, usually due by May 31 of that year. Our vaccines guide lists local clinics if you need to catch up on shots.

What the first year looks like

The 2026 to 2027 calendar marks October 19 as the first day of full-day kindergarten, about two months after school starts on August 13. The 2027 to 2028 calendar marks October 18, 2027. Kindergartners attend from the first day but on a shorter schedule before then. Our PAUSD calendar guide has the full year.

After-school care is run by private providers, not the district. Each campus has its own. If your child is overflowed, contact the provider at the new school right away. Our after-school programs guide lists them.

Applying to a choice program

Incoming kindergartners can enter one choice lottery: Hoover, Ohlone, Mandarin immersion at Ohlone or Spanish immersion at Escondido. A child must be registered with PAUSD before applying. For 2027 to 2028, applications run January 19 to February 19, 2027, the lottery is February 26 and families must reply by March 3. Our choice programs guide explains each program.

Frequently asked questions