The percentage of students in Tarrant County entering kindergarten who are considered to be “kindergarten ready” is slightly higher than their statewide peers. But education experts and state leaders say this metric needs improvement to set up children for success in their academic careers.
Enrollment and access to a quality pre-K or child care program before kindergarten is a major factor in kindergarten readiness. Texas serves the highest number of pre-K students in the country, but an April 2024 report from the National Institute for Early Education Research shows the state has lagged in updating its quality standards and per-student funding for years. Investment is needed to cover costs of running a quality program, pre-K teachers should be paid the same as their K-12 peers and access should be expanded through partnerships with private child care providers, according to the institute.
In 2025, Texas lawmakers expanded public pre-K eligibility to children of school teachers and included pre-K students in the state’s voucher-like program that will allow them to attend private early childhood education programs with public funding. Because the state’s early learning system is still fragmented with multiple agencies overseeing these programs, state leaders are looking for solutions to improve performane…