San Diego Unified plans to add at least 20 new transitional kindergarten classes in the fall and hire more than 40 teachers. While the San Diego Unified School District deals with a $112 million deficit for next year, the Board of Trustees is making an investment to expand classes supporting the youngest learners. Applications to the growing TK program went live on the district’s website, early Saturday morning. Parents can register their children as long as they are four years old by the beginning of the fall semester in September. Emelda Nemeth (right) works with one of her students at Salk Elementary in Mira Mesa, March 14, 2025. Maria Wong and Emelda Nemeth are veteran teachers with decades of experience between them. For the last eight months, they have been co-teachers in a transitional kindergarten classroom at Salk Elementary in Mira Mesa. “A lot of them [students] come here and they might not know their alphabet or letter sounds. They might not know how to write their name,” they told NBC 7 on Friday. All of their students were four when they started the school year. Many of them are already turning five preparing for what learning will be like when they return in August. “If they’re happy and they’re making progress and they know how to get along together by the end of the year, I feel they’re going to be successful in kindergarten,” Wong continued. That is the point of the program the district started in 2022. San Diego Unified was the first district in the state to introduce the classes for four-year old children to get a jump start on their education. The curriculum includes reading, writing, math and more. Students are also taught “soft skills” that include sharing, etiquette for eating, and how to make friends. “It’s nice for them to find their own voice and to be a leader. [They learn to] standup for themselves, and be able to say how they feel in their own words”, Nemeth said.   Maria Wong (left) with one of her students in her classroom at Salk Elementary in Mira Mesa, March 14, 2025. Maria Wong has taught pre-school for more than 20 years. State law requires two certificated teachers in every transitional kindergarten classroom. For the most part, the school district has covered the cost of classes over the last three years. But this year, Governor Gavin Newsom has made TK a priority. His budget, which must be approved by July, commits to fully fund the program across the state. San Diego Unified reports more than 15,000 four-year-old students have already benefited from TK over the past three years. The district is expected to accept more than 5,000 TK students for the 2025-26 school year. Additional state funding will allow for the expansion plans. If a neighborhood school reaches capacity, the district will assist in finding placement at a nearby school with available space. Classes in the fall will be capped at 20 students down from the current 24 student limit. It’s nice for them to find their own voice and to be a leader. [They learn to] standup for themselves, and be able to say how they feel in their own words.Emelda Nemeth, TK teacher at Salk Elementary School Five-year old Vivienne is a student taught by Wong and Nemeth at Salk Elementary. She said she wants to grow up to be a doctor so she can help people. “I have learned about science, [too], and how to make a volcano,” she continued. “What do volcanoes do? They erupt!” ...read more read less