Location of first early childhood center finalized

Northwest ISD has finalized the location of the district’s first early childhood center approved by voters in the 2023 bond election. The new facility, which will serve pre-kindergarten students, will be located off F.M. 156, south of Hillshire Drive and north of East Bonds Ranch Road.

The ECC will open in August 2026 and is the first of four such schools approved by voters. Locations for the remaining three schools are under consideration. Additionally, Northwest ISD will wait for updates in the upcoming state legislative session regarding school funding, as the district is in the process of analyzing potential operational budget cuts following voter disapproval of the recent VATRE. Currently, districts across Texas only receive half-day funding for a full day of education for pre-K students who qualify by state standards.

Early childhood centers are designed to support Northwest ISD’s growing pre-K population and provide support for elementary schools. Each district elementary school also offers pre-K, though enrollment numbers have surpassed 900 pre-K students this year following an enrollment of just 565 students during the 2022-2023 school year.

While an exact timeframe for the district’s second, third and fourth early childhood centers is under consideration, each ECC will be located in a specific geographic area of the district. ECC #1 is located in the southern portion of the district, while future locations will be announced for centers in the north, east and west.