In a year marked by sweeping changes in early childhood education policy and mounting challenges for public school systems, two Southwestern states—Texas and New Mexico—have emerged as focal points in the national conversation about access, equity, and sustainability in pre-kindergarten and child care programs.
In Texas, the Northside Independent School District (NISD), the largest in San Antonio, is bracing for a significant transformation. Ahead of the 2027-28 school year, NISD is set to discontinue its tuition-based preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds by the end of the 2025-26 school year, allowing currently enrolled students to continue into 2026-27. This move comes in direct response to Texas House Bill 2 (HB 2), a sweeping education bill passed during the 89th legislative session in June 2025, which limits tuition-based preschool programs in public school districts and requires districts to partner with state-approved outside providers if such programs are to continue.
Barbara Triplett, an early education program administrator at NISD, explained the district's earlier approach: "It would introduce our employees’ children into general ed classrooms with our other students which would then provide more opportunities for more students, reduce the costs by half and increase the campuses from 20 campuses to 50 campuses. It was a win for everyone." However, with the new state law in effect, NISD is pivoting once more. The district will expand its free pre-K program in the 2026-27 school year to include a limited number of qualifying 3-year-olds, with opportunities to blend age 3 students into existing age 4 classrooms when deemed developmentally appropriate and operationally feasible.
Since 2019, Texas has required school districts to provide free full-day preschool for eligible 4-year-olds—those who are English learners, educationally disadvantaged, in foster care, have an active military parent, are homeless, or whose parent received the Star of Texas Award. HB 2 now expands eligibility to 3-year-olds, though districts are not mandated to offer pre-K 3, leading to expectations that such programs will be fewer and more limited in size. As a result, school districts like Northside have the discretion to cap the number of available spots for younger children, rather than automatically accepting all eligible applicants.
District Superintendent John Craft voiced his commitment to the expanded program, stating, "This particular student demographic is going to need every opportunity they can attain to get a head start." Yet, the district faces considerable hurdles. NISD, which serves nearly 100,000 students but has been steadily losing enrollment each year, currently grapples with a $38 million budget deficit. The expansion of free pre-K means the district will likely need additional staff and classroom sections, and blending 3- and 4-year-olds presents challenges given their differing developmental and instructional needs.
Moreover, HB 2 bars districts from expanding seat capacity once the 2027-28 school year begins, making it critical for NISD to act swiftly. The district’s new arrangement aims to "build system capacity," engage students academically and socially at an earlier age, and support classroom teachers with a no-cost option, while giving timely notice to non-classroom teachers that alternative childcare plans may be needed.
Supporters of HB 2, primarily Republican lawmakers, have promoted the bill as a historic investment in public education, prioritizing classroom teachers and addressing early education gaps. However, not everyone is convinced. Texans Care For Children, a research and policy group advocating for child protection and early learning, pointed out that tuition-based pre-K in public schools is generally more affordable than private preschool or child care, serving around 10,000 families in Texas. The group warns that HB 2 could unintentionally limit school districts’ ability to meet real childcare demand and place greater burdens on outside providers, especially in fast-growing or rural areas with limited infrastructure.
San Antonio, for its part, has several private providers and the city-funded Pre-K 4 SA program, which is currently at capacity and already prioritizing enrollment for the 2026-27 year. According to Pre-K 4 SA CEO Sarah Baray, "As for the changes to state law, this change was made to help strengthen the early learning ecosystem by encouraging ISDs to partner with local childcare providers rather than competing with them. Pre-K 4 SA is supporting this effort through the San Antonio Shared Services Alliance by helping childcare providers find ISDs willing to partner." Yet, recent studies indicate that there are still not enough quality seats in Bexar County to meet families’ early education and childcare needs, particularly on San Antonio’s South Side.
Meanwhile, New Mexico has taken a different tack—one that has drawn national attention. In September 2025, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) Secretary Elizabeth Groginsky announced that New Mexico would become the first state in the country to offer universal free child care by the end of the year. The move eliminates income eligibility thresholds for child care assistance, which previously capped support at families earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level.
The policy is designed to expand access to child care, help parents remain in the workforce, increase pay for child care workers, and boost the state’s economy. However, as reported by Source New Mexico, capacity issues threaten to undermine the program’s promise. There simply may not be enough child care centers or available spots, especially in rural areas. Lori Martinez, executive director of the advocacy group Ngage New Mexico, stressed, "Starting with funding and implementation of the Wage and Career Ladder, which was a requirement in the legislation that created the Early Childhood Education and Care Department in 2019." She added, "High quality child care is early childhood education, and contributes to school readiness as well as economic growth and quality of life in our communities."
Federal funding disruptions have further complicated the landscape. President Donald Trump’s executive order in March 2025 to shut down the Department of Education, alongside a month-and-a-half-long government shutdown from October 1 to November 12, threatened programs like Head Start in New Mexico. State research universities faced up to $95 million in lost federal funding due to freezes and reductions. The Trump administration’s efforts to limit diversity, equity, and inclusion programs also resulted in federal funding delays and cancellations, affecting educational efforts and research at higher education institutions across the state.
Despite these challenges, New Mexico’s ECECD remains steadfast. Secretary Groginsky affirmed, "Our state funding is strong, our partnerships are solid, and our commitment is unwavering. ECECD will keep working to ensure every New Mexican family has access to the high-quality early care and education opportunities they want and deserve." The department is prioritizing strengthening and expanding the early childhood system in 2026, supporting career advancement and wage scales for workers, and increasing family and community involvement.
Back in Texas, the transition is less about expanding eligibility and more about navigating new restrictions, strategic partnerships, and the realities of limited funding and infrastructure. As both states move forward, the central challenge remains: how to turn ambitious legal mandates and policy changes into meaningful, lasting improvements for children and families. The coming years will reveal whether these bold gambits and necessary pivots can truly close the gaps in early childhood education—or simply shift the burdens elsewhere.
