Texas pre-K lags in quality and needs more funding, national report says
Texas falls short compared to other states when providing high-quality pre-K to 3- and 4-year-old students, according to a national report.
The 2025 State of Preschool Yearbook shows Texas only met two out of 10 standards that researchers say are key to providing quality early childhood education to the nation’s youngest students. The state met the benchmarks for early learning and development standards and for screening and referrals of vision, hearing and immunizations. Among the other standards the state failed to meet were teacher specialized training, maximum class size and staff-to-child ratio.
The annual report released this week by the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University analyzes quality, accessibility and investment of state-funded pre-K across 44 states and Washington, D.C.
“When states invest in quality preschool programs that can produce strong outcomes, they invest in a better future for children and taxpayers,” said NIEER Director Steve Barnett. “Texas is one of 12 states to enroll more than half of 4-year-olds in preschool, but providing a quality program requires more funding and higher standards. Texas should look to neighboring Oklahoma and New Mexico as examples of state preschool programs that meet recommended quality benchmarks.”
Texas served more than half, or 52%, of 4-year-olds and 11% of 3-year-olds in the 2024-25 school year, according to the report. Compared to other states, Texas ranked 12th in preschool access for 4-year-olds and 16th in preschool access for 3-year-olds. These rankings for both age groups accounted for a decrease of one slot compared to 2024.
Additionally, Texas ranked 37th in spending per child nationwide, which is down from 35th the previous year.
In the 2024-25 school year, the report also found that Texas:
- Increased its pre-K enrollment by 112 with 248,483 total children
- Decreased state spending, when adjusted for inflation, by 8% with $996.6 million spent
- Decreased its funding per child, when adjusted for inflation, by $337. The state spent $4,395 per student
The report acknowledges actions taken by lawmakers during the 2025 regular legislative session. House Bill 2 expanded pre-K eligibility to children of classroom teachers and required a minimum percentage of state funding to go to child care providers that partner with school districts to provide preschool. Although, districts can apply for waivers with this pass-through funding, according to Texans Care for Children.
It remains to be seen how the state’s new voucher-like program will impact its pre-K system. In terms of grade level, families with pre-K-age children represented the largest group that applied for the public funding to send their children to private programs. Although, about half of those students were deemed ineligible due to existing state requirements that preschoolers must meet to qualify for public pre-K. The first cohort of qualifying families will utilize the voucher-like funding in the 2026-27 school year.
