1. (a) The first priority for services shall be given to California State Preschool Program (CSPP) three-year-old or CSPP four-year-old children who are recipients of child protective services or who are at risk of being neglected, abused or exploited and for whom there is a written referral from a legal, medical or social service agency.

2. (b) The second priority for service shall be given to all three- and four-year-old children with disabilities whose family's income is at or below the income eligibility threshold.

   1. (1) Within this priority category, children from families with the lowest income according to the most recent Schedule of Income Ceiling eligibility table as published by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) at the time of enrollment shall be enrolled first.

   2. (2) Second priority applies to children with disabilities enrolling in CSPP outside of the mandated enrollment set aside pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of section 8208 of the Education Code.

      (c)(1) The third priority for services shall be given to eligible CSPP three- and four-year-old children, not enrolled in transitional kindergarten (TK). This priority does not include children eligible based on having disabilities if they are from families with incomes above the income eligibility threshold.

   3. (2) Within this priority category, children from families with the lowest income according to the most recent Schedule of Income Ceiling eligibility table as published by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) at the time of enrollment shall be enrolled first.

      1. (A) If two or more families have the same income ranking, according to the most recent Schedule of Income Ceiling eligibility table, the child that is a dual language learner shall be admitted first.
      2. (B) If there are no children that are dual language learners, the child that has been on the waiting list for the longest time shall be admitted first.

3. (d) The fourth priority for services shall be given to children from families whose income is no more than 15 percent above the eligibility income threshold. Children from families enrolled under this eligibility category may not exceed 10 percent of the participating CSPP's total contract enrollment. Children with disabilities do not count toward the 10 percent limitation. Within this priority category, children shall be enrolled in the following order:

   1. (1) Three- and four-year-old children with disabilities interested in enrolling beyond those already enrolled in the percent of funded enrollment set aside pursuant to Education Code section 8208,
   2. (2) Three- and four-year old children without disabilities shall be enrolled in income ranking order according to the most recent Schedule of Income Ceiling eligibility table as published by the SSPI at the time of enrollment.
   3. (3) If two or more families have the same income ranking, according to the most recent Schedule of Income Ceiling eligibility table, the child that has been on the waiting list for the longest time shall be admitted first.

4. (e) After all otherwise eligible children have been enrolled, the contractor may enroll the following children in the order listed:

   1. (1) For CSPP Neighborhood School Sites operating within the attendance boundaries of a qualified free and reduced priced meals (FRPM) school, in accordance with section 17729, the contractor may enroll CSPP three- and four-year-old children whose families reside within the attendance boundary of the same qualified FRPM elementary school without establishing eligibility pursuant to Education Code section 8208(a)(1). These families shall, to the extent possible, be enrolled in income ranking order, lowest to highest.
   2. (2) Transitional kindergarten and kindergarten pupils enrolling in the CSPP for extended learning and care, pursuant to subdivision (l) of Education Code Section 48000.
5. (f) After all families have been enrolled in the priorities above, contractors shall enroll children with disabilities that are not income eligible and have not been enrolled pursuant to any of the priorities above.

Note: Authority cited: Section 8207, Education Code. Reference: Sections 8205, 8207, 8208, 8210 and 8217, Education Code.

History

1. New article 2 (sections 17746-17748) and section filed 7-1-2022; operative 7-1-2022 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4(b)(3) (Register 2022, No. 26).

2. Amendment of section and Note filed 1-6-2025; operative 1-6-2025 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4(b)(3) (Register 2025, No. 2).