Pre-K Enrollment Stabilizes as District Seeks to Expand Access

More than 12,000 students are enrolled in Houston ISD pre-K—a level of participation the district sees as foundational to improving long-term academic outcomes.

HISD leaders have identified early childhood education as a pivotal strategy for closing achievement gaps and ensuring students are prepared for the critical third-grade literacy milestone, when instruction shifts from learning how to read to reading to learn.

"At HISD, we believe every child deserves a strong start,” said Najah Callander, deputy chief of family and community partnerships. "Our pre-K programs help children build the foundation and skills that can set them up for long-term success in school and in life".

As the district continues to expand access to pre-K, leaders say the goal is not just enrollment growth, but building the early literacy skills that can shape students’ academic trajectories for years to come.

Why It Matters

While pre-K is not mandated, many families qualify for free enrollment for the entire school year if they meet certain criteria, such as low-income status, English learning, or have parents who are active duty members.

With the implementation of House Bill 2 (HB2), full-time classroom HISD teachers across the district could now receive free pre-K, which officials believe supports teacher retention and fosters a positive professional environment for employees.

The district’s approach to early childhood education is rooted in the Science of Reading which focuses on the brain science behind how children learn to “crack the code" of language, Chief Academic Officer Kristen Hole said. 

In the early grades, students build foundational skills by learning letters, understanding the sounds they make, and discovering how to combine them into words. This early intervention is designed to ensure students are on grade level before they reach third grade, where the curriculum shifts from teaching students how to read to expecting them to read for comprehension.

"90% of the brain is being built between the ages zero and five. So that's when they have the most benefits to absorb all the information they need in order to be successful for later on,” Director of Early Childhood Education Marisol Castruita said. 

Additionally, a 2023 study from education nonprofit Good Reason Houston finds that children who attended public school pre-K—particularly those eligible through English learning status —were more likely to be Kindergarten-ready compared to the average readiness rates and their peers who did not attend, based on a beginning-of-year screening reading screener known as the Texas Kindergarten Entry Assessment. 

What Does it Look Like?

The curriculum emphasizes developmentally appropriate practices, including structured play and learning, to build foundational skills in math, language, and social-emotional competence.

“We have high quality programming that focuses on the whole child,” Castruita said. 

Other features of HISD instruction include: 

• Full-day learning 
• Individualized attention that caps the classroom at 22 students
• Instructors certified in early childhood education
• English-only, Spanish transitional bilingual, and Dual Language programs in Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, or French 

Strategic Expansion

A key strategy for the district to meet third-grade reading benchmarks is to expand access to pre-K programs and continue their growth across the region. Hole noted that while some campuses still have available seats, others—particularly in the West division with higher concentrations of English learners—are “fully maxed out” and operating at capacity.

Through a partnership with Houston ISD and Good Reason Houston, Dallas-based company Groundwork Outreach had hired Houston locals this summer to go door-to-door to promote the district’s pre-K program in neighborhoods feeding into Sterling, Yates, and Austin high schools. 

The effort targets about 56,000 households eligible for tuition-free Pre-K of which Good Reason Houston estimates that only 4 in 10 students were enrolled during the 2023-24 school year.

District officials are currently reviewing our waitlists, space availability and needs to determine future expansions within our HISD campuses and future partnerships in areas of need.

How it works

Families are permitted to apply for up to 10 different campuses with a lottery system assigning students when demand exceeds available space. 

In addition to offering pre-K at nearly every elementary school in the district, HISD offers the opportunity for parents to apply to attend one of eight Early Childhood Centers, which support the district's youngest learners. 

For interested families, enrollment remains open throughout the year as long as seats are available. Virtual sessions will take place on the following dates and times: 

• Afternoon and evening sessions on Wednesday, Jan. 21 
• Morning, afternoon, and evening sessions on Wednesday, Jan 28 

Learn more about pre-K in HISD and enroll today here.

Long-Term Momentum

The district remains committed to pre-K as a way to build momentum by allowing its students a foundation in learning. By getting more students on grade level during these formative years,officials hope to create a "flywheel effect," where success in early grades leads to better performance and higher achievement in future years. 

“If we get better in these early grades, in future grades, those kids will do better,” Hole said.