Pre-Kindergarten Program

A student may qualify for Pre-K if they are unable to speak and comprehend the English language.

To see if your child would qualify, please begin by completing the online registration.

Students automatically qualify if they are educationally disadvantaged, meaning the student is eligible to participate in the national free or reduced-price lunch program.

To determine eligibility under this category, parents or guardians should bring the following documentation with them to their appointment at the school, where calculations will be completed to determine if the child qualifies as educationally disadvantaged:

• If the child receives SNAP or TANF benefits, please provide current SNAP or TANF documentation showing enrollment dates that are valid at the time of registration.

• If the child does not receive SNAP or TANF benefits, parents or guardians must bring at least three consecutive pay statements equaling more than one month of wages for each wage earner in the household to the appointment.

Students qualify for Pre-K if they are homeless, as defined by 42 U.S.C. Section 1143a, regardless of the residence of the child, of either parent of the child, or their child’s guardian or other person having lawful control of the child if they "lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence," including:

• Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reasons;
• Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or campgrounds due to lack of alternative accommodations;
• Living in emergency or transitional shelters; and
• Living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar places. 
• Youth may also experience episodic homelessness, which may manifest in more unconventional ways like couch-surfing. 

In BISD this is verified by our homeless education liaison. She can be reached via phone at (830) 357-2040 or via email at: Kadie Mitchell.

Students qualify for Pre-K if a parent/guardian is an active duty member of the armed forces of the United States, including the state military forces or a reserve component of the armed forces, who is ordered to active duty by proper authority or is the child of a member of the armed forces of the United States, including the state military forces or a reserve component of the armed forces, who was injured or killed while serving on active duty. Proof of these items would need to be presented to the campus during the registration/qualification meeting. Military ID and paperwork showing active duty or active duty injury/killed while serving active duty is required.

A child is or has ever been in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services (foster care) following an adversary hearing held as provided by Section 263.202, Family Code. Paperwork to verify this information will need to be provided for registration.

A student qualifies if they are a child of a person eligible for the Star of Texas Award as:

• a peace officer under Section 3106.002, Government Code;
• a firefighter under Section 3106.003, Government Code; or
• an emergency medical first responder under Section 3106.004, Government Code.

Paperwork that shows proof of this award, or verification through the online state of Texas system is required to qualify.

Students qualify for Pre-K if they are the child of a person employed as a classroom teacher at a public primary or secondary school in the school district that offers a prekindergarten class. The Texas Legislature, under HB2 signed by the Governor on June 20, 2025, added this new eligibility for free pre-kindergarten.

Proof of current employment as a BISD classroom teacher with eligibility as defined by HB2.