Benicia Unified School District

New Student Enrollment

Welcome, New Families to Benicia Unified!

BUSD welcomes all new families to the school district and we want to make enrollment as efficient as possible.  BUSD is a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students. New student enrollment for 2024-2025 begins on February 1st of each school year for grade levels TK – 12 and continues throughout the school year.

Students who turn 5 between September 2 and June 2 will be eligible to enroll in TK. Enrollment is for Benicia residents only. If you are interested in Pre K options please visit the Preschool & Child Development page.

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    Click Here for Important Universal Transitional Kindergarten (TK) Information (For students who turn 5 between Sep 2 and Jun 2)

    Universal Transitional Kindergarten (TK) is a bridge program between preschool and kindergarten. BUSD uses a curriculum that is age and developmentally appropriate that includes some initial academic work, but is heavily focused on play-based learning structures.

    BUSD highly encourages full potty training for general education pupils in Universal Transitional Kindergarten (TK).

    Fully potty trained means that the pupil:

    • comes to school in big kid underpants (not pull-ups)
    • can communicate a need to use the bathroom
    • can independently take care of toileting (pull down underpants, sit on toilet or stand at urinal, and void the bowels or bladder)
    • can independently manage related hygiene (can access toilet paper, wipe, place used toilet paper in the toilet bowl, flush, pull up underpants without assistance, and wash and dry hands)
    • Kindly practice, how to wash hands properly, how to turn on the water, pump soap, scrub hands with soap and then rinse, turn on/off the faucet, how to pull a paper towel, how to dry hands and put used paper towels in the trash.

    An occasional accident would be acceptable, and the definition of "occasional" may vary pupil to pupil.

    For TKs who are not fully potty trained and/or have frequent accidents:

    Convene an SST meeting to discuss potty training needs (case by case basis)
    Develop a support plan which may include:

    • A 3 person parent/guardian or emergency contact list to be available for in person toileting support during the school day.
    • A schedule and log
    • Parent provided supply of pull ups (if part of their individual plan), changes of clothing, wipes, zip bags for soiled items

    A recent change in state legislation does not permit districts to deny enrollment to incoming TKs or kindergarteners if they are not fully potty trained. Pupils with IEPs likewise cannot be denied enrollment in Pre-K or TK, so these resources can also be provided to IEP teams as they develop plans to support early learners with IEPs who are not fully potty trained.

    Self-Care Standards for TK:

    Taking care of individual needs on our own is of utmost importance in elementary school. The role of the TK aides is to provide guidance and coaching and as the children become more independent, gradually step away. Practice “taking bathroom turns” and waiting patiently so your student is familiar with what that means in a public restroom.

    Bathroom Cycle:
    It is expected that TK students complete the full bathroom cycle independently which includes:

    1. Going into the restroom
    2. Closing/latching the door
    3. Pulling down pants (unfastening, unbuttoning)
    4. Using the toilet (wiping independently)
    5. Flushing the toilet
    6. Pulling up clothing (buttoning, fastening)
    7. Unlatching the door
    8. Washing hands*

    In the case of bathroom accidents, students should be able to remove clothing put it in a bag and put on their clean pair of clothes.

    Washing Hands:
    Kindly, please practice, how to wash hands properly:

    1. How to turn on the water
    2. One pump of soap
    3. Scrub hands together and in between fingers for 20 seconds
    4. Turn on/off faucet
    5. How to pull a paper towel and put in the trash

    Nose Blowing:

    1. Taking a tissue out of the box
    2. Blowing their nose, not picking with fingers
    3. Dispose of tissue
    4. Wash hands

    TK FAQ:

    Q: Do TKs have to be potty-trained?
    A: Although non-potty students cannot be denied enrollment, BUSD strongly urges parents to ensure their child is fully potty trained before enrolling in TK.

    Q: Will BUSD potty train my child?
    A: No. BUSD will not potty train your child. However, we will support your child’s plan during school hours.

    Q: If my child has an accident, will they be sent home?
    A: It depends on the extent of the accident.
    - If it is a contained accident and the student is able to assist, school staff will assist as appropriate.
    - If it’s a more extensive accident, parent/guardian or emergency contacts will be called to assist or take the child home.

     

    Resources:

    • Please go to the Inter-District Transfer tab for information on enrollment for students who reside outside of the District.
    • Students must turn 5 by September 1st to enroll in Kindergarten and must turn 5 between September 2 and June 2 to enroll in Transitional Kindergarten. These dates are firm and exceptions are not considered. 
    • Elementary parents can find the site where the enrollment will take place by going to the section “What school will my child attend?” under the parent tab. 
    • There is no guarantee that your student will attend that school, but early enrollment (in February) does assist with the process.
    • If you want your student to attend an elementary school that is not your resident school, please apply for Open Enrollment during the month of March. Please go to the Open Enrollment tab for more information.

    The new student enrollment process involves a number of steps and requires that various documents be presented.  Please read the “Requirements For Enrollment” and fill out the enrollment form linked below for your student(s) for the upcoming school year. It is of the utmost importance that ALL of the enrollment documents be gathered and submitted at ONE time in order for the enrollment to be considered completed. This can all be done via email or a phone appointment can be made directly with the school site that your student will be attending.

    Requirements For Enrollment

    1) ADDRESS VERIFICATION – (Parent must have 2 of the following to verify identity and residence)

    • Current Mortgage, Rental/Lease Agreement, Purchase Contract, or Payment Receipts
    • Current Utility Service Contract, Statement, or Payment Receipts
    • Property Tax Payment Receipts
    • Pay Stubs; Voter Registration; Correspondence from a Government Agency; or
    • Notarized Declaration of Residency (executed by the parent/guardian or custodian of minor)

    2) PROOF OF AGE – (Executed by parent/guardian or custodian of minor)
    Certified copy of birth record; statement by local registrar or a county recorder certifying the date of birth; baptism certificate; passport; or notarized affidavit of birth.

    3) IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS FOR SCHOOL ENTRY – (Listing the month, day and year the vaccines were received)
    Immunizations are required at the time of school enrollment for all students entering school TK/K through 12th grades.  Please find the California state requirements at www.shotsforschool.org

    4) CURRENT IEP or 504 PLAN – (If Applicable)

    5) CURRENT REPORT CARD (K-8th) / TRANSCRIPT (9th-12th)

    6) ORAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT – (This requirement is due by May 31st of your child’s first year in school)
    This requirement is due by May 31st of your child’s first year in school. An oral health assessment form must be completed by a dentist or other licensed or registered dental health professional and turned into the school office. Assessments that have been done within 12 months of your child entering school meet this requirement.

    The form titled “Oral Health Assessment Form” can be found below in the “Important Documents” section.

    7) PHYSICIAN’S STATEMENT OF PHYSICAL EXAM (CHDP) – (This requirement is due by November of your child’s First Grade year)
    This requirement is due by November of your child’s First Grade year. A Report of Health Examination must be filled out by a licensed physician and indicate a TB test/risk assessment was completed. We will only accept exams done after age 4 years 3 months.

    The form titled “Physician’s Statement of Physical Exam Form” can be found below in the “Important Documents” section.

    8) LANGUAGE SURVEY – (If a language other than English is spoken at home and student meets any of the below requirements, a home language survey will be filled out as part of the enrollment form)

    • All New Students to the US
    • All New TK Students (who have not attended a public school in California)
    • All New Kindergarten Students(who have not attended a public school in California)
    • Any grade level student that has only attended a private school or has never attended a public school in California

    Please call your school of residency in order to follow the proper enrollment procedures set by the schools. Enrollments will not be done in person or without all of the documents needed being submitted at one time. Do not submit any enrollment documents without contacting your school first. School contact information can found below.

    NOTE: STUDENT WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO ENTER CLASS UNTIL ALL FORMS ARE COMPLETED AND RETURNED IN THE REQUIRED TIMEFRAME.
    (Does not apply to Foster Youth and/or students under the McKinney Vento Act)

    Important Documents

    Contact Info

    High School / Middle School Contact Info

    Benicia High School

    Jane Uggla

    Registrar

    Benicia Middle School

    Sue Wing

    Registrar

    Elementary School Contact Info

    Mary Farmar

    Anita Carcamo

    Office Manager

    Matthew Turner

    Ilse Cordova

    Office Manager

    Robert Semple

    Vicki Zimmer

    Office Manager

    Joe Henderson

    Uilani Osborne

    Office Manager

    Health Services Contact Info

    Michelle Dilello

    Assistant Director of Health Services

    Kasey Flores

    Health Services Specialist