San Diego Unified reports hundreds of open preschool seats, with deadlines and eligibility rules for families

Open seats remain across district early-learning classrooms

San Diego Unified School District is reporting that preschool capacity remains available for the 2025–26 school year, including 271 no-cost seats still open at the time of its most recent districtwide update. The openings span multiple school sites and are tied to two separate early-learning offerings for children as young as 3.

The district’s early-learning enrollment push comes as California enters the first year of universal transitional kindergarten (TK) availability statewide for age-eligible 4-year-olds. That parallel expansion has created a more complex landscape for families weighing schedules, eligibility rules, and program structures across public options.

Two programs, different eligibility and weekly schedules

San Diego Unified’s free preschool offerings for 2025–26 are structured as part-day programs with morning or afternoon sessions. The district has described a total of 1,271 seats across the two options, with attendance requirements and eligibility criteria that differ by program.

• California State Preschool Program (CSPP): Offered at 18 elementary schools, with 863 seats. It is designed for children who meet age requirements and whose families meet income-eligibility rules. The district has described CSPP as operating five days per week in a three-hour, part-day format.

• School Readiness program: Offered at 12 school sites, with 408 seats described by the district. This option is intended for families who do not qualify under CSPP income rules. The district has described School Readiness as part-day and four days per week, with the non-instructional day aligned to the school’s modified day schedule. Priority is given to families living within the resident boundary for the School Readiness site.

Key dates families must track

For CSPP, the district has identified a priority enrollment window that opened June 2, 2025 and ran through June 15, 2025, with an additional reopening date of July 15, 2025. The district stated families would be informed of enrollment status by mid-July.

For School Readiness, the district described a separate application period from July 15 through July 22, 2025, followed by enrollment taking place at school sites starting Monday, July 28, 2025.

How preschool and TK intersect in 2025–26

California’s TK rules require districts to make TK available for all children who turn 4 by September 1 of the school year, beginning in 2025–26. Unlike CSPP, TK is part of the K–12 public school system and is not income-based. For families, this can mean comparing a TK classroom option against part-day preschool formats, transportation considerations, and the number of instructional days per week.

Families navigating 2025–26 early learning choices face overlapping timelines and distinct eligibility rules across state preschool, district readiness programs, and universal TK.

What families can do next

Because seats remain available and program timelines vary, families generally need to confirm age eligibility, residency priorities where applicable, and whether a household qualifies under income-based rules. The district has directed families to use its central enrollment process for early-learning applications and to follow the School Readiness timeline for site-based enrollment later in July.