More than 1,000 additional children are registered to attend preK at a Dallas ISD school than there were on the first day of school last year.
And with more than two weeks left before school starts and preK registration still open, Kristine Delgado, enrollment manager for the Dallas ISD Early Childhood and Community Partnerships office, said she expects the registration number to continually climb.
As of July 31, approximately 9,500 three- and four-year-olds were registered to attend Dallas ISD preK. On the first day of school last year, 8,386 children were registered.
The registration increase follows a concentrated effort by the district to expand its preK offerings. Thanks to the Bridge Plan adopted by trustees in March, the first phase of an early childhood center is opening at the former site of Harllee Elementary and a new preK center is opening in Wilmer, Texas this school year. Meanwhile, the district has added preK classrooms in existing schools throughout the district.
PreK is open to three and four-year olds this year. Three-year-old preK classes are half-days, with an option of either 7:55–11:15 a.m. or 11:45 a.m.–2:55 p.m. PreK classes for four-year-olds last the full school day.
Parents with children that qualify for Dallas ISD preK can still enroll their child by going to the Dallas ISD building at 2909 N. Buckner Blvd., Ste. 606. The office is open Monday–Friday from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Click here to see the eligibility requirements for preK and what documentation is needed to enroll.
For families that have already registered, robocalls started going out Aug. 3 to notify parents on whether their child has been accepted to preK.
Alan Cohen, executive director of Dallas ISD’s Early Childhood and Community Partnerships Program, said evidence shows the significant benefits preK bring for students. Accepted research shows that 85 percent of a child’s brain development occurs in their first five years.
“We need to reach children in that window of opportunity when they’re learning at a rate that they’re never going to be able to learn at again,” he said. “The district is committed to reaching as many children as possible during this critical point in their lives.”
