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Northwest ISD is opening its pre-kindergarten tuition-based lottery system for the 2026-27 school year March 25.
This will be the first year families can apply to the district’s new Hicks Early Childhood Center, which is scheduled to open in August.
What you need to know
Tuition-based pre-K is for families who do not meet the state’s criteria for free pre-K, according to a district news release.
State-funded pre-K is also offered to students who do not speak and comprehend English, are economically disadvantaged, are a child of an active duty member, are in the foster care system or the child of a person eligible for the Star of Texas Awards, which is given to peace officers, fire fighters and first responders, according to the district.
Students in NISD’s pre-K program must be 4 years old by Sept. 1. The district’s annual tuition rate for the 2026-27 school year will be $7,000.
Families can apply to the pre-K lottery system until April 8.
Zooming in
Families with students in the following school zones are also eligible to attend the district’s first early childhood center opening for the 2026-27 school year:
Before you go
The Hicks ECC was constructed with funds from a $2 billion dollar voter-approved bond package from 2023, according to previous reporting.
It is the first of four early childhood centers to be constructed in the district, with the second campus likely to be constructed in Rhome, northwest of Fort Worth. That center is estimated to open in 2027, according to previous reporting.
