Prekindergarten

Ready to enroll your 4-year-old? Garland ISD offers tuition-free, full-day Pre-K at 34 schools.

Enrollment for 2026-27 opens April 1.
Join us for the PreK-K Explore Fair on Sat. April 11.

Pre-K quick facts

Age: 4 years old by September 1
Cost: Tuition-free
Schedule: 8:10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. (full day)
Class size: 12:1 student-to-teacher ratio
Transportation: Not provided for Pre-K students
Locations: 34 schools (2 dedicated Pre-K centers + 32 elementary schools)

How to enroll?

You can enroll at any time during the year. We encourage families to enroll during the Pre-K and Kindergarten Choice period in April for the best school selection.

2026-27 Pre-K/K Choice Period: April 1-May 1, 2026

What documents are needed?

child's birth certificate (if available)
proof of residency within our district boundaries
child's immunization records (state law requires that students are current with immunizations to enroll in school)
child's social security card (if available)

Some students may qualify for priority placement based on specific criteria. If your child qualifies, additional documentation may be required. Learn about priority placement requirements →

Start your enrollment in Skyward
Learn more about enrolling in GISD

What to expect

Apply in Skyward — April 1–May 1
Watch your email — Student Services may reach out for additional documentation or to schedule language testing, if needed, before your application is approved. Once approved, you'll receive a link to the Avela Choice of School form within 24–48 hours.
Rank your school choices — Complete your selections by May 1
Get your placement offer — Sent the week of May 29

How placement works

Our prekindergarten program is open to all children who will be four years old on or before September 1. Children who meet one or more of the priority eligibility criteria receive priority placement, meaning they are placed in available seats first.

If your child does not meet any of the criteria, you can still enroll — seats are offered to all eligible four-year-olds based on availability after priority placement is complete.

Learn about eligibility for priority placement

Why Pre-K?

Prekindergarten (Pre-K) programs offer many benefits. 90% of your child’s brain develops before they are five years old. Our Pre-K program takes advantage of this important time to learn. We provide foundational education that helps prepare your child for kindergarten. Research has shown that kids who attend Pre-K are less likely to be held back a grade and more likely to graduate from high school.

What we offer

Our Pre-K classes are taught by certified teachers who are trained in early childhood education and development. They have the knowledge and skills needed to teach your child at this very important age.

Your child will learn:

to recognize colors, shapes, letters, and numbers
important social skills like how to pay attention in class and interact with other children
listening and speaking skills
early reading skills like how to hold a book, turn the pages, and look at pictures
basic math skills such as counting and measuring

Your child will also develop skills in science, social studies, fine arts and physical development for a balanced education. The curriculum taught is research-based and follows a state-mandated curriculum.

A prekindergarten teacher leading a small group with excited students. One of the students points to the board behind the teacher with a smile.

Pre-K is offered at 34 schools across the district. We have two dedicated prekindergarten centers and 32 elementary schools that offer full-day classes. Schools offer different language programs to meet family needs:

General Education/ESL: All instruction in English. English as a Second Language support is available for children learning English.
Bilingual (Spanish or Vietnamese): Instruction in both English and Spanish/Vietnamese to develop both languages while learning academic content.

We also offer a Montessori Magnet at Luna and Herfurth Elementary with a child-led learning approach. A separate application is required during specific timelines. Learn about Montessori

A teacher talking and smiling to her students as they line up

Which schools offer Pre-K?

We offer full-day Pre-K at the following schools.

Visit the GISD Explore Map, where you can enter your address to find the schools closest to you. Use the Filter option to narrow the list of schools by Pre-K and other options. Then, review the tables below to see which programs are available at each campus.

**Pre-K locations for the 2026-27 school year**
Locations	General Ed./ESL	Bilingual Spanish	Bilingual Vietnamese
Cisneros	Yes	Yes	No
Parsons	Yes	Yes	Yes
Abbett	Yes	No	No
Armstrong	Yes	No	No
Back	Yes	No	No
Bradfield	No	Yes	No
Bullock	Yes	Yes	No
Caldwell	Yes	Yes	No
Carver	Yes	Yes	No
Club Hill	Yes	No	No
Cooper	Yes	No	No
Couch	Yes	Yes	No
Davis	Yes	Yes	No
Dorsey	Yes	No	No
Freeman at Golden Meadows	Yes	Yes	No
Giddens-Steadham	Yes	Yes	No
Herfurth *Montessori magnet	Yes*	No	No
Keeley	Yes	No	No
Liberty Grove	Yes	No	No
Lister	Yes	No	No
Luna (magnet)	Yes	No	No
Northlake	Yes	Yes	No
Pearson	Yes	No	No
Roach	No	Yes	No
Rowlett	Yes	No	No
Sewell	Yes	No	No
Shorehaven	Yes	Yes	No
Shugart	Yes	No	No
Southgate	Yes	Yes	No
Spring Creek	Yes	No	No
Stephens	Yes	Yes	No
Toler	Yes	Yes	No
Weaver	Yes	Yes	No
Williams	Yes	Yes	No

**Pre-K locations for the 2025-26 school year**
Locations	General Ed./ESL	Bilingual Spanish	Bilingual Vietnamese
Cisneros	Yes	Yes	No
Parsons	Yes	Yes	Yes
Abbett	Yes	No	No
Armstrong	Yes	No	No
Back	Yes	No	No
Bradfield	No	Yes	No
Bullock	Yes	Yes	No
Caldwell	Yes	Yes	No
Carver	Yes	Yes	No
Club Hill	Yes	No	No
Cooper	Yes	No	No
Couch	Yes	Yes	No
Davis	Yes	Yes	No
Dorsey	Yes	No	No
Freeman at Golden Meadows	Yes	Yes	No
Giddens-Steadham	Yes	Yes	No
Herfurth *Montessori magnet	Yes*	Yes*	No
Hickman	Yes	No	Yes
Keeley	Yes	No	No
Liberty Grove	Yes	No	No
Lister	Yes	No	No
Luna (magnet)	Yes	No	No
Northlake	Yes	Yes	No
Pearson	Yes	No	No
Roach	No	Yes	No
Rowlett	Yes	No	No
Sewell	Yes	No	No
Shorehaven	Yes	Yes	No
Shugart	Yes	No	No
Southgate	Yes	Yes	No
Spring Creek	Yes	No	No
Stephens	Yes	Yes	No
Toler	Yes	Yes	No
Weaver	Yes	Yes	No
Williams	Yes	Yes	No

FAQs

Expand All

What time are the classes?

Our full-day Pre-K program shares the same hours and calendar as our elementary schools, 8:10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Can you choose which Pre-K your child goes to?

You may select up to six Pre-K schools as your top choices. At the time of enrollment, a Student Services staff member or a campus data clerk will assist you in completing enrollment for the school with seat availability.

Is transportation provided?

Transportation is not provided. You are responsible for transporting your child to and from school.

Many parents get help from family members or choose to coordinate drop-off and pick-up with their child’s daycare.

How does eligibility work for priority placement?

Our prekindergarten program is open to all children who will be four years old on or before September 1. Children who meet one or more of the priority eligibility criteria receive priority placement, meaning they are placed in available seats first.

If your child does not meet any of the criteria, you can still enroll — seats are offered to all eligible four-year-olds based on availability after priority placement is complete.

Learn more about eligibility for priority placement

Can students with disabilities enroll in Pre-K?

Students with disabilities can participate in Pre-K through the Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) program. See the Special Education page for details.

How are the Pre-K centers different?

The Pre-K centers were designed and built specifically for four-year-old children. These centers do not have students in any other grades. The library, gym, bathrooms and lockers are all specially sized for Pre-K children.

In addition, we have a partnership with the Child Care Group Head Start program at our Pre-K Centers with two GISD/Head Start classrooms, one GenEd/ESL and one Bilingual, each center.

How does the Pre-K program measure its success?

2024-25 GISD Prekindergarten Program Self-Assessment

Committee members in Garland ISD complete self-assessments to collect evidence of the quality of the GISD Early Childhood Program. Evaluating the program ensures that the youngest learners are receiving the early learning experiences necessary for optimal growth and development.

The following categories were evaluated to measure growth. Each category was rated as Developing, Proficient, or Exemplary.

Access/Enrollment (Rating: Proficient)
- This includes enrollment plans, outreach materials, and strategies.
Administrative and Teaching Staff (Rating: Proficient)
- This includes mentoring, teacher evaluations, certification records, and district/campus improvement plans.
Curriculum (Rating: Exemplary)
- This includes what is taught in classes and the scope/sequence.
Instruction (Rating: Exemplary)
- This includes support resources, special education and emergent bilingual resources, and meeting the 11:1 classroom ratio.
Assessment (Rating: Exemplary)
- This includes planning for tests, family engagement plans, and plans for referrals/intervention.
Learning Environments (Rating: Proficient)
- This includes district guidance for organization of classrooms, daily schedules, and routine procedures. It also includes student discipline policy and age-appropriate behaviors.
Family Engagement (Rating: Exemplary)
- This includes the overall family engagement plan and resources, teacher communication with parents, interpreter/translation policy, attendance plans, the student compact, and the student handbook.
Transition (Rating: Proficient)
- This includes the plan for transitioning out of prekindergarten, the Title 1 plan, family engagement plan, and student data-sharing agreements.

Engaging our families

We value the voices of our families in helping us create the best learning experience for their child. We encourage parent involvement and partnership by:

Creating opportunities for families to connect and participate in our schools
Sharing community resources with families that can benefit them, like Early Childhood Texas
Inviting parents to serve and offer feedback on decisions
Offering tools for learning outside of the classroom
Training staff in supporting families and using evidence-based practices
Regularly offering opportunities for feedback from families to make sure we are improving

Our goal is to make sure families can work together with us to create child-centered, age-appropriate, and engaging academic and social-emotional learning opportunities.

Learn more about our Pre-K Family Engagement Plan

A mom and a dad smiling with their little girl in front of a "Welcome to Pre-K" backdrop.

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Pre-K quick facts

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