GISD spokesperson Melinda Brasher said pre-K enrollment by phone started May 11 and will run through June 11.
“It's too soon to compare enrollment to past years,” Brasher said in an email, “but we have no reason to believe numbers will decline from projections.”
Leander ISD is implementing full-day pre-K in August, yet their enrollment numbers are well below projections, according to LISD spokesperson Rachel Acosta.
In February, LISD officials estimated a increase in enrollment to 775 students, a 91.36% rise from the current half-day enrollment of 405 students. As of April 30, LISD had enrolled only 75 students, with 128 pending. More than 35 children have been deemed ineligible, according to the district.
GISD has offered full-day pre-K at seven elementary schools since 2017 even though the Texas Legislature only voted to fund full-day pre-K this past year, according to Brasher.
The tuition-free program is open to children who live within district boundaries and who will be four years old on or before Sept. 1. They must also meet at least one of the following eligibility requirements.
- Unable to speak and understand the English language
- Eligible for the free or reduced-price lunch program
- Homeless
- Child of an active-duty member of the armed forces or a reservist on active duty
- Child of a current or former military member who was injured or killed while on active duty
- Has ever been in the conservatorship of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
To enroll a pre-K student in the tuition-free program, families are asked to call the elementary school that serves their neighborhood. Visit this webpage for a map of GISD elementary enrollment zones.
