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California school districts facing declining enrollment are converting underused campuses and classrooms into infant, toddler and preschool programs. The expansion responds to demand for affordable childcare, but there is no guarantee that participating families will later enroll their children in district schools.
California school districts losing students are turning empty classrooms and campuses into infant, toddler and preschool care sites, seeking both to meet demand for affordable childcare and build relationships with families before their children reach school age. Berryessa Union School District opened the Toyon Early Learning Center for 150 young children less than a year after closing three elementary schools, while Los Angeles Unified has voted to expand its early education programs.
At Toyon, a former elementary school campus north of San Jose, Berryessa added small sinks and toilets to accommodate young children. The district leased the site to Kidango, a nonprofit provider serving about 4,000 children in the East Bay region. Superintendent Roxane Fuentes said the district wanted to reach families before their children turn four and hopes they will remain in its schools.
Los Angeles Unified’s board voted to expand early education, including by adding preschool in empty elementary classrooms, reopening previously closed childcare centers and doubling the district’s infant-care programs. Board members said the work is intended to respond to unmet childcare needs as well as introduce families to district schools. The district is still identifying where demand is greatest.
The need is substantial, according to research cited in the report: in 2024, 11% of children eligible for subsidized childcare in Los Angeles County were enrolled in a program. State investment has also supported expansion. Kidango CEO Scott Moore said a 2021 funding increase added 200,000 subsidized childcare slots statewide and raised the hourly reimbursement rate for caregivers.
Childcare as a District Enrollment Strategy
For districts, using underused school buildings for early learning can put facilities to work while offering families a service that is difficult to access affordably. The strategy may also establish a connection with families before kindergarten, when district enrollment decisions begin. But childcare enrollment is not the same as future school enrollment: participating families may later choose other schools or move away.
The approach could matter especially where high housing and childcare costs affect families’ ability to stay in a community. Urban Institute senior fellow Erica Greenberg said affordable care in public school buildings could help address those pressures in Los Angeles. That is a possibility, not a demonstrated outcome for Berryessa or Los Angeles Unified.
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From School Closures to Early Learning
Declining student numbers have contributed to school closures in California, while districts have limited control over broader factors such as lower birth and immigration rates and the rising cost of raising a family, according to the report. At the same time, state support for subsidized childcare has given districts and providers more scope to use school facilities for younger children.
Kidango has leased unused classrooms on school grounds as enrollment has fallen over the past two decades, Moore said. Converting an elementary school for infant and toddler care can require substantial work: licensing rules call for small sinks and toilets in each classroom, and some sites may need separate entrances and exits. The report describes districts using available space, but does not give a common cost estimate for these conversions.
“It was really about trying to find another avenue of getting to families before age four.”
— Roxane Fuentes, Berryessa Union School District superintendent
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Future Enrollment Gains Are Unproven
It is not yet clear whether children in these programs will later enroll in the same districts’ transitional kindergarten or elementary schools. Greenberg cautioned that reaching young families does not necessarily produce more kindergarteners. Berryessa has not adopted an admissions eligibility guideline for children attending the Toyon program, and the report does not establish how many families will remain in the district.
Los Angeles Unified is still working out where childcare demand is highest. The available information also does not specify the full cost, schedule or expected enrollment impact of its planned expansion, or how many newly served families will move on to district schools.
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Districts Plan Their Next Steps
Berryessa plans to use events at Toyon to share information about its transitional kindergarten and kindergarten programs, including during spring open enrollment. The center’s nonprofit operator holds parenting education events at the former school, giving district leaders a setting to meet families.
Los Angeles Unified is expected to continue planning where to expand care and how to use available classrooms. The district is also facing a reported $3.6 billion deficit, with school consolidations on the agenda this year; board member Tanya Ortiz-Franklin said some facilities made available through consolidations could eventually be considered for childcare. The timing and sites for any further conversions have not been specified.
early childhood learning materials
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Key Questions
Why are California districts adding infant and preschool care?
Districts cite unmet demand for affordable childcare and the availability of underused school space. Some leaders also hope early programs will build relationships with families before children reach kindergarten age.
Which districts are expanding early learning?
Berryessa Union opened the Toyon Early Learning Center for 150 infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Los Angeles Unified has voted to expand early education, including preschool and infant-care programs.
Will children in these programs later attend district schools?
That outcome is not established. Researchers and district leaders describe future enrollment as a possibility, not a guaranteed result.
What makes converting a school into childcare difficult?
Childcare licensing can require small sinks and toilets in classrooms, and some sites may need separate entrances and exits. The report says conversions can be expensive but provides no general cost figure.
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