More than 600 families made the step to set their 3- and 4-year-olds up for success on Saturday by applying for prekindergarten in HISD. All elementary and early childhood campuses across the district opened their doors to provide in-person, one-on-one support to families through the application process. Support was also available over the phone and virtually.

Bright colors and bubbles filled the air at the Ninfa Laurenzo Early Childhood Center as Principal Janet Benavides welcomed the new, tiny Llamas to their campus with open arms and a new shirt to commemorate the moment.

“We know that as a 3-year-old, the students don’t know social skills. They don’t know how to follow instructions,” said Benavides. “We’re the foundation of that. It starts here with us.”

The Student Enrollment Department and School Choice partnered together to host the districtwide application fair.

New pre-K parent, Glenda Garcia, brought her 3-year-old daughter to complete the process.

“The younger they are, and the younger that they grasp these concepts they are going to teach them, it’s better for her for when she enters kindergarten,” said Garcia. “She’s going to be more prepared, and she’s probably going to do a lot better because of the preparedness she’s getting now.”

HISD will be hosting another pre-k application fair on Thursday, March 3, from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. All elementary and early childhood centers will be open to assist families with the application process. For those who are unable to make it in person, support will also be available in both English and Spanish virtually and over the phone. Additional information can be found by visiting Houstonisd.org/Pkfair.

For questions or further assistance, contact the Office of School Choice at 713-556-6734 or by email at SchoolChoice@HoustonISD.org; HISD Early Childhood Education at 713-556-6898 or by email at Curriculum@HoustonISD.org.