Fort Worth ISD pre-K partnership creates more options for students and families
The Fort Worth Independent School District is testing different models for how it can provide prekindergarten education to its youngest students. This school year, a new partnership with local child care centers has a goal of increasing access and options for families.
The Neighborhood PreK program, which is also the name of the operating nonprofit, is now serving 3- and 4-year-old Fort Worth ISD students at local child care centers for the 2025-26 school year. The partnership between the district and nonprofit, which is affiliated with early childhood organization Child Care Associates, is a Senate Bill 1882 partnership that provides financial incentives for school districts to partner with open-enrollment charter schools, higher education institutions and nonprofits.
The district’s Leadership Academy Network, operated by Texas Wesleyan University, has the same model as Neighborhood PreK where the partnering entity has autonomy in how it serves students but must meet certain performance measures that align with state standards.
A maximum of 140 students can be served across five site locations in the Neighborhood PreK program. The nonprofit declined to share its current fall enrollment. The district’s agreement with the nonprofit is active until June 2030. Performance measures in phonological awareness, vocabulary and math are outlined over the next five years with the current school year serving as a baseline, according to the agreement.
The five sites included in the partnership are:
- The Child Care Studio at Riverside (2400 E. First St.)
- Blanche Child Care Center (2900 Stalcup Road)
- North Fort Worth Head Start and Child Development Center (901 NW 30th St.)
- The Morris Foundation Child Development Center (2701 Moresby St.)
- Rosedale V Child Development Center (4244 E. Rosedale St.)
The Neighborhood PreK program comes forward as a former pre-K partnership, PreK Today, expires in Fort Worth ISD after its 2024-25 pilot year. Fort Worth ISD officials said PreK Today officials did not bring the contract up for renewal for the 2025-26 school year. PreK Today officials declined to explain why the program did not continue in Fort Worth ISD.
The five Neighborhood PreK sites are the same locations where the PreK Today program previously operated. Neighborhood PreK Board President Chris Shropshire said Neighborhood PreK reflects the vision of the Tarrant County Blue Ribbon Action Committee on Child Care, a committee spearheaded by Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker focusing on improvements to the child care sector in Tarrant County.
“The Blue Ribbon Action Committee helped to identify innovative, community-driven solutions that improve access to quality child care. Shropshire said. “This Committee of community leaders identified this pre-K collaboration model as a promising way to support Fort Worth families while collaborating to continue to build a community-connected birth-to-career educational ecosystem that places students and families at the center.”
Fort Worth ISD officials said the district’s role in the partnership is to monitor kindergarten readiness of pre-K students and provide resources where they’re needed.
“Fort Worth ISD serves as the authorizing entity, helping ensure the (Neighborhood) PreK hub meets high standards for kindergarten readiness and student success. We monitor progress, coordinate support across departments, and provide resources like professional development and wraparound services to help children thrive,” said Lynsey Charles, director of school choice & enrollment for Fort Worth ISD.
In an October news release announcing the partnership, district officials said the long-term goal will focus on ensuring all students can read proficiently by third grade and pave the way for success for the rest of their academic careers.
“Our goal is to ensure that every child in Fort Worth is prepared for success in kindergarten and beyond,” said Karen Molinar, then-interim superintendent of Fort Worth ISD. “This partnership addresses the existing unmet need in school-based prekindergarten programs by integrating community-based childcare options, providing more flexibility for families and better supporting their diverse needs.”
In the same October news release, Neighborhood PreK Executive Director Amity Halstead said the partnership “represents a new era in early childhood education in Fort Worth.”
“By bringing together school-based and community-based care, we’re able to provide families with more choices, well-supported, enhanced programs, and a pathway to lifelong success for their children,” Halstead said.
This story was originally published September 4, 2025 at 1:26 PM.
