REGION 9

Who is eligible for Public Prekindergarten? 

To be eligible for a full-day program, a child must be at least four years of age by September 1 of the current school year and meet at least one of the following criteria. The same criteria apply for three-year-old children to be eligible for half-day programs.

• Are unable to speak and comprehend the English language
• Are economically disadvantaged, which means a student eligible to participate in the national free or reduced-price lunch program. For the current 2020/2021 income eligibility chart, click here.
• Are experiencing homelessness
• Are the child of an active duty member of the armed forces of the United States
• Are the child of a member of the armed forces of the United States
• Are in, or have been in, the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services
• Are the child of an individual eligible for the Star of Texas Award as a peace officer, firefighter, or emergency medical first responder

For more information, see https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/PK%20Eligibility%20Overview.pdf.

High-Quality Prekindergarten Components

House Bill (HB) 3, 86th Legislative Session, 2019, amended Texas Education Code, §§29.164-172, to make high-quality prekindergarten components mandatory. All districts, open-enrollment charter schools, and districts of innovation must implement the following high-quality prekindergarten components in classrooms serving eligible four-year-old students:

• Curriculum
• Student Progress Monitoring
• Prekindergarten Teacher Qualifications
• Teacher-to-Student Ratio
• Family Engagement
• Program Evaluation
• Data Reporting

For more information, see https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/HQPK_Components_One%20Pager%20-%20Accessible.pdf 

TEA’s Early Learning Public-Private Partnership Guidebook can be accessed here:

​TEA and TWC Early Learning Partnership information can be accessed here: