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Open Door Preschools honored for 50 years of inclusive early education in Austin
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Summary
Councilmember Chito Vela proclaimed 11/20/2025 Open Door Preschools Day, celebrating the organization's 50-year history serving more than 4,000 children across three campuses and emphasizing inclusion and tuition subsidies for low-income families.
Councilmember Chito Vela read a proclamation at City Hall recognizing Open Door Preschools on its 50th anniversary and praised the program as Austin’s first inclusive preschool, founded in 1975 to enroll children with and without disabilities together.
Kathy McCorris (introduced by the council) spoke for Open Door Preschools and described its history and mission. She said the preschool has welcomed more than 4,000 children since its founding, that about 25–30% of children in its classrooms have learning differences or disabilities, and that nearly 30% of families receive tuition subsidies so they can access high-quality early education.
The proclamation and remarks stressed early childhood education’s role in brain development and economic stability. City leaders and Open Door staff posed for photographs following the proclamation; no policy votes were taken during the recorded remarks.
