• PRE-K APPLICATION 2025-2026

       

               

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    HISD is currently accepting applications for its full-day pre-K program at schools across the district, offering more 3- and 4-year-old students in our community with the opportunity to attend a high-quality program that will build a strong foundation of learning.

    Due to precautions surrounding the coronavirus, pre-K application and enrollment timelines have been adjusted:

    PRE-K TRANSFERS

     

    Qualified in-district, TEA Eligible and Tuition-based applications during this phase will be entered into lotteries but have separate notification dates.

     

    How to enroll

    Complete a pre-K application by visiting ChooseHISD.com or www.houstonisd.org/prek and uploading the documentation listed below:

    • Parent income (check, award letter, child support, SSD)
    • Proof of address (utility bill such as light, gas, water, or lease)
    • Child’s original birth certificate
    • Child’s immunization record
    • Parent identification

    Who can enroll

    To be eligible for enrollment in a free, full-day pre-K program, a child must:

    • Be 3 or 4 years of age on or before September 1 of the enrolling school year and a resident of HISD.

    And meet one of the following criteria:

    • Unable to speak and understand English
    • Economically disadvantaged (eligible to participate in the National School Lunch Program)
    • Child of a member of the U.S. Armed Forces
    • Has ever been in state foster care
    • Homeless (no documents needed to enroll)
    • Child of a person eligible for the Star of Texas Award

    Students who attend pre-K in the 2025-26 school year will benefit from engaging, age-appropriate, hands-on instruction, as well as:

    • High-quality teachers in every classroom
    • Optional bilingual classrooms
    • After-school care (available at some campuses)
    • Free breakfast, lunch, and dinner
    • Support to address mental and physical health, food and housing needs, and more
    • Parent education classes
    • Participate in HIPPY program (available at some campuses)

    Children must live within HISD boundaries but do not have to be zoned to a specific campus to attend a pre-K program. A recent Rice University study found that HISD’s pre-K program significantly increases kindergarten readiness after as little as one year compared with students who do not attend pre-K. Research also shows that students who attend pre-K perform better in K-12 education, are more likely to graduate and earn higher wages as adults.

    For more information about HISD pre-K application, email studenttransfer@houstonisd.org

    For more information about the pre-K program, email curriculum@houstonisd.org.

    • HISD POLICY ON THREE-YEAR-OLDS

      • HISD policy gives priority for enrollment in the prekindergarten program to eligible students who are at least three or four years of age on September 1, 2025. If additional space is available and there is no waiting list for eligible four-year-old students and non-eligible tuition-paying four-year-old students who reside in HISD, schools have the option of enrolling students who are 3 years of age on September 1, 2025 provided they meet the eligibility requirements.

        • After all eligible and ineligible four-year-old students have been enrolled, if there are available seats, schools may then enroll three-year-old students who qualify after June 1, 2025.
        • It is recommended that a waitlist by birthdate be created for three-year-olds so that when enrolling students, they may be close in age and development to their classmates.
        • Should a significant number of three-year-olds be enrolled, creating classes with predominantly three-year-olds is preferred over mixed-age classes.
        • Schools enrolling three-year-olds must receive permission in advance from the School Office and the Early Childhood Department.