Families may now apply to enroll their child in a Tacoma Public Schools preschool program. 

Starting in the 2026-27 school year, Tacoma Public Schools will offer a tuition-based option for our Transition to Kindergarten (TTK) preschool classrooms. TTK serves students who turn four years old by Aug. 31.

Families whose household income is at 500% or below the Federal Poverty Level will be prioritized for free preschool. For families at or above 501%, tuition will be set at $1,450 per month for the 2026-27 school year.

Preschool families whose child has an IEP will not be charged tuition.

Why the change?

This school year, the State of Washington funded TTK classrooms in almost all TPS elementary schools.

But in an effort to reduce spending, the State of Washington cut funding for TTK in its recently approved budget and prioritized funding for TTK programs with high populations of students identified as low-income and programs in small or rural school districts.

Due to those cuts, TPS must plan for an estimated 43% reduction in our state-funded TTK spots.

TTK prepares students for kindergarten

Data shows that TTK students enter kindergarten better prepared than their peers. Each year, students who participated in TTK outperform their peers on the Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS), which measures readiness across six developmental domains: cognitive, language, literacy, mathematics, physical, and social-emotional development.

TPS wants all students to enter kindergarten prepared to learn and succeed, and we want to offer every possible opportunity to make that happen. As a result, we will offer both state-funded and tuition-based spaces in TTK.

2026-27 application open for all preschool programs

Families can complete a preschool application in ParentVUE to start the review process.

• Families will be notified of their eligibility for free or tuition-based preschool options via email within 15 business days of applying.
• From the date of notification, families will have 10 days to accept their child’s preschool space.
• Those who are notified of tuition options will have 30 days to submit a deposit.

Qualifying factors for all TPS preschool programs:   

• Address: Families who live within the Tacoma Public Schools boundary.  
• Age: Children must be 3 or 4 years old on or before Aug. 31, 2026.  
• Income: Priority is given to families with an annual household income below 500% of the Federal Poverty Level. Families above 500% will qualify for monthly tuition. 

Space is limited. Submitting an application does not guarantee enrollment into a program.

Get more information here.