The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has released an update on requirements related to prekindergarten (Pre-K) partnerships between school districts or open-enrollment charter schools and private providers by establishing pass-through funding requirements, requiring determinations for Pre-K expansion and tuition, and designating Pre-K Partnership Intermediaries, as dictated by HB 2.
HB 2 requires that a partnership between a school district or charter school and a private prekindergarten provider must provide that at least 85% of funds are passed to the private prekindergarten provider, starting with the 2025-2026 school year. TEA is accepting waiver requests for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years using the Pre-K Partnership Pass-Through Wavier, which are due October 30, 2026.
HB 2 also requires TEA to designate Pre-K Partnership Intermediaries to support the development and expansion of public-private prekindergarten partnerships. These intermediaries are intended to serve as regional experts and coordinators who help bridge the operational, financial, and administrative gaps to maximize partnership growth and Pre-K quality.
TEA has designated five Pre-K Partnership Intermediaries effective immediately. These organizations have demonstrated their capacity to fulfill the Pre-K Intermediary functions and to provide technical assistance and guidance to school systems:
- Child Care Associates
- Regions Served: 10, 11
- United Way of Greater Austin
- Region Served: 13
- Texas A&M University System
- Regions Served: All
- Educational First Steps
- Regions Served: 10, 11
- Neighborhood Schools, Inc.
- Regions Served: 4, 5, 6
TEA will be hosting the following informational webinars on Pre-K Intermediaries:
- Option 1: September 2, 2026, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
- Option 2: September 15, 2026, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
- Option 3: September 28, 2026, 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
Additional resources can be found on the Pre-K Partnership webpage. The full correspondence from TEA can be found here.
