Editor's note: This item was part of our list of the Top 7 Plano stories to watch in 2019. The other stories can be found on our Plano homepage or in our Annual Community Guide print edition.

What we reported

Plano ISD officials are working to better accommodate a rising share of economically disadvantaged students enrolling in the district’s prekindergarten program. Approximately three in 10 students come from economically disadvantaged families, as opposed to less than one in 10 in 1995, according to the district. One of the district’s central premises is that placing more students in pre-K programs will reduce historic gaps in educational outcomes for students from low-income families.

 

The latest

PISD spokesperson Lesley Range-Stanton said the district has not yet identified sites for its planned pre-K expansion. The district has previously considered increasing pre-K class sizes in existing classrooms, using empty classrooms at elementary school campuses, expanding the district’s early childhood schools or constructing a fourth early childhood school. The district could use a combination of these options to reach its full capacity target.