The board voted in favor of applying for the waiver at a Dec. 9 board meeting.
Full-day pre-K comes as a result of House Bill 3, which passed in the recent Texas legislative session.
The law requires school districts to offer full-day pre-K to 4-year-old students who meet certain requirements, such as those who cannot comprehend English or who qualify for the free or reduced-price lunch program.
While HB 3 is effective this school year, school districts can seek waivers to prepare for expansion.
Before seeking a waiver, FISD opened invitations for proposals for partnerships with public or private entities for pre-K classes at a Nov. 1 meeting. But as of the Dec. 2 deadline, the district did not receive any proposals, said Melissa Ellis, FISD’s assistant director of early childhood instruction, prompting the recommendation for a waiver.
The district plans to roll out full-day pre-K in the 2020-21 school year, per previous reporting by Community Impact Newspaper.
The waiver is expected to be available Jan. 1, according to FISD documents.
