Is Your Child Eligible? Use the Pre-K Eligibility Screener
Austin ISD Pre-K3
Austin ISD Pre-K3 is available for free for children who are eligible. We also offer tuition-based Pre-K for students who don't meet the qualifications for district-supported Pre-K3. Not all AISD schools offer Pre-K3, and not all offer tuition-based Pre-K3. Locations Map with Programs >
pre-k3 ELIGIBILITY process
Step 1: Eligibility
Are you eligible for district-supported (Free) Pre-K3?
- Use the Pre-K Eligibility Screener to determine eligibility.
- Not eligible for district-supported Pre-K? Register for tuition-based Pre-K3.
Step 2: Review
The Early Childhood staff will review submitted screener and request supporting documents:
- Proof of Income: Most recent pay stub or unemployment statement, worker's compensation, disability payment, or no income statement
- SNAP, TANF, or Medicaid Benefits: Most recent proof of benefits to include effective dates, case number, and child's name
- Military Service: Statement of Service, Letter from Veterans Affairs stating eligibility for disability or Letter from Commanding Officer. Do NOT upload copies of Department of Defense identification
- Foster Care: DFPS Verification Letter of PreK Eligibility or other documentation of foster care.
- Star of Texas Award: Certificate or Letter from Governor or state representative
Step 3: Documentation
Families will scan or take a picture of requested documents and upload them to a Pre-K Eligibility Documentation Request Google form.
Step 4: Verify
Early Childhood staff will verify PreK eligibility and notify families.
Step 5: Campus Registration
Families will complete registration paperwork online or with the campus.
Pre-K3 Curriculum at AISD
Austin ISD follows the Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines and uses Teaching Strategies research-based The Creative Curriculum for all our Pre-K students.
The Creative Curriculum helps Pre-K students achieve positive outcomes through learning experiences that are engaging and relevant to their lives. It features exploration and discovery as a way of learning, and supports the district objective to teach the whole child with a focus on social and emotional learning.
Pre-K3 students receive instruction that is:
- Innovative: delivering cutting-edge resources that are unique, effective, and based on the latest research.
- Responsive: including solutions that address educators’ challenges and help create a responsive learning environment.
- Supportive: providing robust guidance to support each educator’s professional journey.
- Comprehensive: aligning to all state early learning guidelines and the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework
- Developmentally Appropriate: promoting learning experiences designed for each age-group and flexibly tailored to each child’s needs with high-quality, research-based resources.
Sample pre-k3 Schedule
Schedules vary from campus to campus, so please be sure to check with your child's school for specifics.
- 7:30–8 a.m., Arrival
Breakfast in the classroom, Welcome Ritual and Arrival Procedures Children sign in and participate in table activities. - 8–8:15 a.m., Circle Time #1
Read aloud, shared writing, math, science, and other content-based activities. - 8:15–9:30 a.m., Learning centers and small groups
Children work in free-choice centers. Teacher works with small groups throughout the morning. - 9:30-9:45 a.m., Circle Time #2
Read aloud, shared writing, math, science, and other content-based activities. - 9:45–10:15 a.m., Outside play
Children participate in unstructured and free-choice outdoor play. Sand, water, musical instruments, and other materials/activities are provided. - 10:15–10:30 a.m., Story time
Children participate in active story time, including songs, chants and dance. Children prepare for lunch and dismissal. - 10:30–11 a.m., Lunch
The teaching assistant and the Pre-K lunch monitor sit with children to assist with the meal and model appropriate behavior. - 11-11:12 a.m. End of the Day Review & Dismissal
Locations
For help locating your zoned school by address School Finder.
Half-day Pre-K3 (tuition-based)
- Allison
- Blanton
- Cunningham
- Dawson
- Jordan
- Kocurek
- Perez
- Pillow
- Sunset Valley
- Travis Heights
- Uphaus Early Childhood Center*
- Williams
- Winn Montessori
- Zavala
*Pre-K3 students at the following schools are served at partner campuses:
- Blazier and Linder (served at Uphaus Early Childhood Center)
HALF-day Pre-K3 (district-supported)
- Allison
- Barrington
- Blanton
- Boone
- Casey
- Cunningham
- Dawson
- Harris
- Houston
- Jordan
- Kocurek
- McBee
- Odom
- Padron
- Patton
- Perez
- Pickle
- Pillow
- Pleasant Hill
- Sunset Valley
- Travis Heights
- Uphaus Early Childhood Center*
- Walnut Creek
- Widén
- Williams
- Wooldridge
- Wooten
- Zavala
*Pre-K3 students at the following schools are served at partner campuses:
- Blazier and Linder (served at Uphaus Early Childhood Center)
Full-day Pre-K3 (district-supported)
Head Start (HS), Child INC (CI), Foundation Communities (FC)
- Andrews (FC)
- Cook (CI)
- Galindo (CI)
- Graham (CI)
- Guerrero Thompson (HS)
- Harris (CI)
- Jordan (HS)
- Langford (HS)
- Metz (HS)
- Norman-Sims (CI)
- Oak Springs (HS)
- Ortega (CI)
- Overton (HS)
- Palm (CI)
- Pecan Springs (CI)
- Rodriguez (HS)
- St. Elmo (FC)
- Uphaus Early Childhood Center (HS)(CI)
- Walnut Creek (CI)