The Uvalde CISD board on July 21 approved a pre-K3 protocol and parent-notification letter that sets out a three-hour state-funded instructional day plus an optional six-hour tuition-based wraparound childcare service. Trustees also directed staff to allow a short grace period and begin charging for the optional wraparound service on Sept. 1 for families who have not completed approval paperwork for third‑party funding.

Why it matters: The district previously operated the program as childcare without seeking ADA funding for the instructional hours. Administrators told trustees converting the program to a TEA‑funded instructional pre-K3 model paired with a tuition-based wraparound day-care option will allow the district to receive state half‑day ADA funding for the instructional component and to recoup childcare operating costs for the wraparound hours.

What the board approved

- Administration presented a parent notification protocol that distinguishes the three‑hour ADA‑funded instructional day (no charge) from the additional six‑hour wraparound care (tuition-based at $33.45 per day). The wraparound service will be managed locally to recover personnel and operating costs.

- The administration described partnerships with the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) and Middle Rio Grande to identify tuition-eligible families and to prioritize district applicants on the TWC waiting list; staff said the partnership could help parents avoid paying the $33.45 per day if TWC funding is approved and attendance requirements are met.

- The administration reported the program’s estimated costs at roughly $385,000 per year to operate two classrooms (director, two teachers, six caregivers, curriculum materials) and suggested the district could secure up to $50,000 in start-up grant funds from a Texas Workforce Commission program.

- Administrators said that if students in the program meet a 90% attendance threshold required by workforce partners, the district would receive estimated half‑day ADA funding of about $213,734 and additional partnership funding of about $183,600 (figures presented as estimates). Staff reported the program last year achieved roughly 82% attendance and yielded only about $29,463 net to the district because the district had covered parental tuition instead of collecting it.

Board discussion and amendment

Trustees and administrators discussed implementation timing, the need to require families to apply for workforce funding quickly and the district’s intent to prioritize families who submit full documentation. Trustees expressed concern about giving families adequate notice before being charged for wraparound care; after discussion the board agreed to a motion to disseminate the parent-notification and protocol materials immediately but to delay active billing until Sept. 1 for families who have not completed the funding paperwork.

Formal action

The board approved dissemination of the pre-K3 protocol and the optional tuition-based wraparound care as presented by administration and amended in the meeting to include a Sept. 1 billing start for families not approved by partner funding (motion by Trustee Flores; second by Trustee Quinones; all in favor; outcome approved).

Practical details for parents and implementation

- No charge for the three‑hour ADA‑funded instructional day. Parents may opt in for the additional six hours of tuition-based wraparound care at $33.45 per day.

- Parents were asked to complete TWC/Middle Rio paperwork during the August window; staff said TWC and Middle Rio would prioritize district applicants in the partnership and that families not approved by Sept. 1 would be required to pay the daily fee or be moved to the wait list.

- Administration will set up a payment process through the district’s payment portal and work with partners to minimize parent out-of-pocket cost for qualifying families.

Ending: The board’s action authorizes staff to send the updated protocol and parent-notification letter to families and implement the September 1 billing start date for families who do not complete partner funding paperwork; staff will return to trustees with operational details and final grant outcomes.