California education sees rising student homelessness and TK growth

California is seeing divergent trends within its K-12 education system. The state’s multi-billion-dollar transitional kindergarten (TK) initiative, which provides free public school access to children turning four by September 1, has seen significant growth. Statewide enrollment reached 213,313 last fall, marking a 20.1% increase from the previous year. Educators report that the program helps students develop essential “learning to learn skills,” such as early literacy, self-regulation, and problem-solving, better preparing them for kindergarten.

In contrast, research from UCLA’s Center for the Transformation of Schools indicates a crisis in student stability. Nearly 300,000 California K-12 students experienced homelessness during the 2024-25 school year, the highest number ever recorded by researchers. This represents a 10% increase from the previous peak in 2018-19.

Concentrated primarily in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura counties, student homelessness is linked to academic challenges. Data shows that students without stable housing are more likely to miss school, and the percentage of these students meeting state math and reading benchmarks is approximately 20% lower than their housed peers.