This year, director Nina Moench said, she's losing seven students to transitional kindergarten — the state's rapidly expanding new grade for 4-year-old public school children. Other families are moving out of state, pushed out by the rising cost of living in Los Angeles County. Read more: California public school enrollment drops again, but transitional kindergarten is upSome of the empty slots might actually reflect a lack of teachers, rather than family interest. About 68% of state preschool classrooms are run by school districts and located on elementary school campuses. The consortium is also subcontracting with family child-care providers to serve more babies, because it doesn't have enough licensed infant slots.

Source: Los Angeles Times July 24, 2024 10:28 UTC