BISD mulls pre-k expansion

Looking to level the playing field for its very youngest students, the Brownsville Independent School District wishes it could offer all-day pre-kindergarten for all students.

The district is getting close, but even with all-day pre-k at 25 of its 33 elementary campuses and half-day programs at the other eight, BISD figures it is missing about 750 potential pre-kindergartners.

Eligibility criteria determine who gets to attend the programs. And while most children in Brownsville qualify, some don't, meaning "every school is missing some kids," said Salvador Cavazos, the district's assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.

Cavazos made a presentation Tuesday night to the BISD Board of Trustees in which he estimated that providing all-day pre-k without eligibility criteria would cost BISD $16.83 million compared to the $7.98 million it currently spends.

"This is not just a BISD issue, it's a statewide question," Cavazos said Wednesday when asked if BISD could find the money to fund the additional costs.

"Our preference, obviously, would be to have all-day pre-k for all students," Cavazos said, but noted that in today's economic climate finding the funds would be difficult when the district also has building and curriculum needs and is under the gun to raise its graduation rate.

Nearly all of the funding for BISD's pre-kindergarten programs comes from state and federal sources, but the district would be hard pressed to find a better way to spend local funds, said Tracy Wickett, president and chief executive officer of the United Way of Southern Cameron County.

"Quality early education is the best dropout prevention strategy I know. The process of becoming ‘at risk' begins even before first grade," Wickett said. "It makes good economic sense to invest in making sure that children are prepared to succeed when they enter school rather than investing later in prison beds for those who are left behind. More than 80 percent of the Texas prison population consists of dropouts. We can pay now or we can pay later."

Wickett is a longtime advocate of early childhood education and serves on the executive committee of the Texas Early Childhood Coalition. On Tuesday, she was in Austin for the annual Pre-K Day at the Texas Capitol.

Companion bills before the Texas Legislature this year would provide state formula funding to allow districts to expand half-day pre-k programs to full day for currently eligible 4-year-old children. State Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville, is a co-sponsor of the Senate measure.

The bills incorporate the same eligibility criteria as current law. Children must be at least 4 years old before Sept. 1 of the school year and at least one of the following:

- Unable to speak and comprehend English;

- Educationally disadvantaged according to state standards;

- Homeless;

- The child of an active member of the armed forces;

- The child of a member of the armed forces who was injured or killed while on active duty; or who

- Has ever been in foster care.

Should the bills become law, BISD could expand half-day programs at Burns, El Jardin, Hudson, Morningside, Ortiz, Palm Grove, Vermillion and Yturria elementary schools. The schools lack classroom space to accommodate all pre-k children for a full day, so they offer half-day programs, Cavazos said.

Additionally, an August 2007 memorandum of understanding between BISD and the Niños Head Start organization allows the D.J. Lerma, Leon Gardens and Cameron Park Head Start centers to serve as satellite pre-kindergarten sites for students who may attend Vermillion, Gallegos, Paredes, Hudson and Burns elementary schools.

"We're working to align the academic services. It takes some initiative," Cavazos said.

"We want a level playing field for all students who enter our system at the kindergarten level," Cavazos said. "Not all students enter at the same level. ... They miss out on that (pre-k) preparation either because they don't qualify or the district does not provide it - and that's really leaving some children behind."