Berkeley TK Schedule - can we get screwed?
We (as I am sure countless others are and have been) are thinking about continuing to pay for preschool or going to BUSD TK.
I understand the cirruclum varies greatly, etc, etc - that's understandable.
One question that we haven't found the answer to is the schedules - is the schedule (meaning the number of hours in school) set across the district, or is it possible that TK at one elementary school is significantly shorter (or longer) hours than at a different school?
Basically, we're scared of putting our eggs in the TK basket and then finding out at the program is only like... 3 hours a day or something.
Thanks!
Aug 20, 2024
Parent Replies
BUSD TK is full-day, so you don't need to worry about that. I believe Albany and Alameda are the only local districts with half-day programs (and all schools in those districts have those programs--it's not a matter of which school you're assigned to). Starting and ending times can vary by school, but all students get the same number of instructional hours. The main thing to check if you need full-day coverage is whether there are likely to be TK spots in aftercare at a given school. There are outside programs that pick up from some schools, too. Typically these programs cover minimum days and any other days off to give you a more predictable schedule. IMO the curriculum and the cost are the two biggest factors in this decision. We kept one TK-eligible kid in preschool because we wanted an extra year focused on social-emotional skills and play; that child was already reading and strong academically so we weren't concerned about the added academic boost that TK can offer. We skipped the last year of preschool for the second child, who was a social butterfly but did need more academic scaffolding. It was the right decision for each kid (though we were fortunate to be in a situation where the cost wasn't the deciding factor). Good luck with the decision!
Busd has a set schedule. Tk and kindergarten go from 9:00-2:15 or 8:15-1:30, depending on the school’s start time. We did TK last year at Emerson and are doing K this year at John Muir. The rubber hits the road if you need afterschool care. Feel free to message me for more specifics.
BUSD TK schedule follows the kindergarten schedule and each school is different. At Ruth Acty, the TK / kindergartners are out at 1:25. At Rosa Parks, they're done at 2:15.
For TK and Kinder in Berkeley, depending on the school's start time, the hours are either 8am-1:30pm or 9am-2:30pm (1st through 5th goes until 2:30 or 3:30). To cover the rest of the day, you need to enroll in aftercare either through LEARNS (offered at each school, budget-friendly, but spaces are limited) or another private provider like the JCC, The New School, or Live Oak Community Center. Some of the private aftercare providers offer bussing service to their site from certain schools.
If the school's start time is an issue, you can consider putting your kiddo on the bus which gives you a bit more time in the morning (I think of it as 20 extra minutes of free childcare!), but you need to be more than 1.5 miles from your school in order to be eligible for the bus, and there's really no flexibility on that rule. It's a lot to think about for sure!
TK is full day where "full day" = 8:10a to 1:30pm (MX), 9:00a to 2:15pm (Cragmont) or 9:10a to 2:25pm (BAM). You'll still likely need to find aftercare if you're working a 9-5 type gig. You can click thru the school specific pages here (https://www.berkeleyschools.net/schools/elementary-schools/) to see their bell schedules.