A Rare Glimmer in the Lone Star State

Just before closing out their biennial legislative session, the Texas legislature passed new pre-k quality enhancement legislation that pre-k advocates have been pushing for in the state.

The bill, HB-130, establishes an “Enhanced Quality Full-Day Pre-Kindergarten Program” that allows the Commissioner of Education to make grants to school districts to offer high-quality, full-day pre-k programs that meet enhanced quality standards, including a maximum class size of 22 students, an adult-to-child ratio of at least one adult for every 11 children, and a requirement that every classroom have at least one certified teacher. These quality standards are higher than those for Texas’ existing pre-k program — the nation’s largest — which does not set a maximum class size or adult-to-child ratio.

While the Commissioner will make grants only to school districts, districts must use at least 20 percent of funds they receive through the program to contract with community-based providers for pre-k services, ensuring that the program leverages the existing capacity of community-based providers. In order to be eligible to participate in the enhanced quality full-day pre-k program, community-based providers must meet several requirements, including being certified through the Texas School Ready! school readiness certification system, participating in the Texas Early Education Model (TEEM) program, achieving at least a 3 star rating from the Texas Rising Stars childcare provider certification system, and having accreditation from a nationally recognized accreditation system approved by the Texas Education Agency.

In addition to authorizing the new enhanced quality full-day pre-k program, the legislature also appropriated $25 million in funding for it in the budget. This is relatively modest progress and less than Texas pre-k advocates had hoped for from this legislative session, but it’s still a significant step forward — particularly given the current economic situation — for the nation’s biggest pre-k state.

Both pieces of legislation now sit on the desk of Texas Governor Rick Perry, who will have to decide by June 21 whether to sign or veto them. Choosing whether or not to sign the pre-k legislation could prove a tricky choice for the Governor, who risks the wrath of anti-tax, anti-spending conservative groups if he does sign it, and of moderate Republican women, with whom pre-k polls well, if he doesn’t. Pre-k advocates in Texas are urging their constituents to contact the governor and demand he sign the bill into law. Check back later this month to see what he does!