HISD Expands Free Pre-K Through 10 Community Child-Care Centers

HOUSTON — Houston Independent School District is expanding access to free prekindergarten through a new partnership with 10 community child-care centers, an effort designed to reach more young children while strengthening neighborhood-based early education.

HISD’s state-appointed Board of Managers approved an amended list of sites for the 2026–27 school year Thursday, Sept. 10. The district is working with the nonprofit Collaborative for Children under a Texas Senate Bill 1882 partnership.

The program is expected to serve about 200 children, up from fewer than 60 students currently enrolled at the participating centers, according to the Houston Chronicle. State funding for the initiative totals more than $1.2 million, with the money divided among the child-care centers, Collaborative for Children and HISD.

Under the arrangement, participating centers will continue managing their own staff, facilities and daily operations. HISD and Collaborative for Children will provide support that includes curriculum guidance, instructional coaching, professional development, family engagement, data systems and help with state compliance.

For eligible families, the program is free. Children must be 3 or 4 years old by Sept. 1, live within HISD boundaries and meet at least one state eligibility requirement. Qualifying factors may include household income, limited English proficiency, homelessness, foster-care history, military-family status or having a parent eligible for the Star of Texas Award.

The community-based model allows families to enroll children in familiar neighborhood child-care settings while giving students access to instruction aligned with HISD and state pre-K standards. Pre-K 4 is offered as a full-day program, while Pre-K 3 is generally a half-day program.

The partnership comes as HISD works to reverse a long-term enrollment decline. District enrollment has fallen by roughly 10% since the 2022–23 school year, costing HISD as much as $60 million a year in state funding, the Chronicle reported. Because Texas school funding is closely tied to enrollment and attendance, bringing more eligible children into pre-K can support both early learning and district finances.

Early-childhood education is especially important in communities where families face barriers to affordable, high-quality care. Research has consistently connected strong pre-K programs with improved school readiness, language development, early math skills and social-emotional growth.

Participating centers must meet quality standards, including a Texas Rising Star rating of three or four stars, and agree to ongoing program improvement requirements. Collaborative for Children says families will receive assistance with eligibility documents, enrollment and placement.

HISD’s regular pre-K enrollment information remains available through the district’s website. Families interested in the community-center partnership can also monitor Collaborative for Children for application updates and participating locations.

Sources: Houston Chronicle, Collaborative for Children and Houston Independent School District, accessed Sept. 11, 2026.

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