To make it easier for parents to screen their children for prekindergarten, Ector County ISD has put the process online.
There are 15 campuses in the district that serve pre-k students who are 4 years old and three that serve 3-year-old pre-k children.
The online pre-k eligibility screening opened April 1.
“Our pre-k roundup is really a time that we as a district are coming together and just rounding up our pre-k students by spreading the word throughout our community that we’re ready to welcome our youngest learners into our district for the upcoming school year,” Director of Early Childhood Education BeatrisMata said.
“We have a lot of events planned and a lot of outreach planned so we can spread that word. … So many families within our community, they’re not aware that we are serving in pre-k three within our district yet. Our hope is, of course, just to go and reach more families each year … through outreach,” Mata said.
Throughout the next couple of weeks, Early Childhood staff will visit campuses to help parents.
There is a QR code that goes with the information so people can scan it and it takes them to the appropriate web page. Parents can fill out the form and see if they qualify.
“Our families have a few options. They can go on to our district website, and they can find our pre K eligibility screener … fill it out, submit it and they’re done. The next step would be where their campus that their child is going to you will contact those families. And they’ll walk them through those next processes up through registration just to help them with that piece,” Mata said.
If there are families that don’t have access to a computer to fill out that online eligibility screener, then we will be stationed on these campuses, early childhood staff will be there to help them.
“We’ll have iPads with us and we’ll have a team out there … to help walk them through those steps and answer any questions … We do have families that have access, but they do want to meet us on one of these sites, just to ask a (few) more questions,” Mata added.
Prekindergarten 3 campuses include Austin Montessori, Lamar Early Education Center and the Odessa Y Learning Center.
Campuses with prekindergarten 4 year olds are Alamo, Austin, Blanton, Cameron, Carver Early Education Center, Murry Fly, Goliad, Gonzales and Hays elementary schools. Also, Lamar Early Education Center, Milam, Pease, Reagan, Ross and Zavala elementary schools.
During the campus visits, they are going to bring the curriculum with them so families can see what their students are going to learn in prekindergarten and the skills they will need.
Prekindergarten this year was full day for 4 year olds and half a day for 3 year olds. It is free for children who qualify and ECISD also offers tuition-based prekindergarten for students who do not meet the eligibility qualifications.
“We have a seat for all students, whether they meet those eligibility criteria or not,” Mata said.
The first year of full-day prek has increased kindergarten readiness by 13 percent.
“… That’s been very exciting. We’re really excited to … see what happens next year, especially with our pre-k …,” Mata said.
To be eligible, children must live in Ector County and be at least 3 or 4 years old by Sept. 1 and meet at least one of the following eligibility requirements developed by the State of Texas, according to information from the district.
>> Student is unable to speak or comprehend the English language.
>> Student is educationally disadvantaged (is eligible to participate in the national free school lunch program or is homeless as defined by federal.
>> The student is the child of an active duty member of the U.S. armed forces including state military forces or a reserve component of the armed forces who is ordered to active duty by property authority.
>> The child is or has been in the conservatorship of the Texas Department of Family and protective Services (foster care) following an adversary hearing.
>> The student is the child of a person eligible for the Star of Texas Award as a peace officer, firefighter or emergency medical first responder.
Mata said the district has a great story to tell with prekindergarten because of the expansion and the support and resources that have been provided for the program.
“… Everything that we do is based on our students and their needs. Our hope is that our families can see that pre-k is a place where children are going to engage in math, science, reading, language, fine arts and play. Through that, they’re able to really hone into those social-emotional skills to make them successful for kindergarten and beyond,” Mata said.
Due to COVID and just sending their children to school for the first time, Mata said there are bound to be parents who have some apprehension about prekindergarten, but ECISD has done its best to provide a safe environment for students.
“Our principals and our leaders in our district and on our campuses have done a great job of providing that safe environment for all of their students — just making those environments clean and making responsible choices. That really trickles down from our school district administrators. They give us that guidance and … through that guidance, we’re able to make those decisions on the campus so that when families do go, they’re able to feel as safe as possible within the environment,” Mata said.
