House Bill 3 requires school districts in the state to provide a full-day prekindergarten program to eligible 4-year-old children with exemptions to districts that would need to build new classroom facilities or if the number of eligible prekindergarten children decreases due to a full-day program, according to agenda documents.
Implementing a full-day prekindergarten program at all AISD campuses would require construction of additional classroom facilities, agenda documents said, making the district eligible for the exemption.
The district currently only has a full-day prekindergarten program at its highest-need campuses, which are Title I elementary schools that offer prekindergarten. At a Title I school, 40% or more of the student population is considered economically disadvantaged, AISD Director of Communications Renae Rives said.
Alvin Elementary, Don Jeter Elementary, E.C. Mason Elementary, Hasse Elementary, Hood-Case Elementary, Mark Twain Elementary, Melba Passmore Elementary, Meridiana Elementary, Nelson Elementary, R.L.Stevenson Primary, Savannah Lakes Elementary and Sanchez Elementary are all Title I campuses, according to AISD.
The construction of additional elementary schools over the next three years will help AISD with incorporating a full-day prekindergarten program across the entire district, according to agenda documents.
