Minimum age for admittance to Kindergarten and First Grade
In California, a child shall be admitted to a school district’s kindergarten program at the beginning of a school year, or later in the same year if the child will have his or her fifth birthday on or before September 1 (EC48000[a]). This applies to kindergarten programs only. In 2025-2026, a child is eligible to be enrolled in Transitional Kindergarten (TK) if the child will have his or her fourth birthday by September 1, 2025. For first grade enrollment, California law requires a child to be six years old on or before September 1 (EC Section 48010). School is mandatory for six-year-old students; parents and guardians must enroll their children in school once they reach the age of six (EC Section 48200).
MBUSD will work with families to determine the best grade-level placement for students matriculating from a five-year-old pre-school or Transitional Kindergarten (TK) program (students entering MBUSD at age five or six who have not yet completed a Kindergarten program). Kindergarten placement will be allowed for these students.
Any student, regardless of age, who has completed Kindergarten will be enrolled in Grade 1, unless an appropriately documented Kindergarten Continuation Meeting has resulted in a recommendation for another year of kindergarten. This practice will be updated to align with any State of California attendance regulation changes.