Is Pre-K 4 Free in San Antonio? Full Breakdown of 2026-27 Cost, Locations & Waitlist

Many San Antonio parents first hear about Pre-K 4 SA as "the city's free pre-K." Then they open the application and it asks about their school district and household income. Some families learn at registration that they will pay tuition. Others hear from a friend or a Facebook group that every center is full for years. Both reactions are understandable, and both are only partly right.

The short answer

• Pre-K 4 SA is free only if your child meets a Texas pre-K criterion and you live in a participating school district.
• Every other family in San Antonio or its ETJ can still enroll, on a sliding scale from $0 to about $9,750 a year.
• For 2026-27, the North, South and West centers have paused applications. East is still enrolling.
• Prop A on the November 2026 ballot would fund the program after 2029. It doesn't change any current seats.

SchoolPath put this guide together to walk through each piece from a parent's side: how to tell whether your seat will be free, what tuition looks like by income, which centers are open, how the waitlist works, the 2026-27 calendar, and what Prop A would and would not do.

What Pre-K 4 SA is

Pre-K 4 SA is a city-run early childhood program funded by a 1/8-cent sales tax that voters first approved in 2012 and renewed in 2020. It operates four large education centers (North, East, South and West) plus a partnership campus at Gardendale in Edgewood ISD. Classrooms use the HighScope curriculum, a play-based approach built around planned activities, small groups and reflection.

The program also funds grants to other early learning providers and professional development for teachers across the city. When parents search "pre k 4 sa," though, they almost always mean the education centers, so that is the focus here.

A few practical features matter as much as the curriculum. Pre-K 4 SA serves breakfast, lunch and snacks. It runs free buses from designated depots. It also offers a free Extended Day program from 3 to 6 p.m. for families who work or attend school.

When you compare Pre-K 4 SA with a private center, count those pieces, since a lower sticker price elsewhere may not include meals, transportation or after-care.

Free seat or tuition seat: the four tests

The most common surprise is that "free" depends on more than income. A child gets a free seat only if all four of these are true:

The TEA criteria are the same ones Texas public schools use:

• The family receives SNAP, TANF, Medicaid or a similar benefit, or meets income limits for free or reduced-price meals
• A parent is on active duty in the U.S. armed forces, or was injured, killed or missing in action while on active duty
• The child is an English learner, as determined by testing
• The child is or has been in foster care
• The child is experiencing homelessness
• A parent received or is eligible for the Star of Texas Award as a first responder

House Bill 2, passed by the Texas Legislature in 2025, also added children of classroom teachers to the state list, in the district where the parent teaches. Teacher families should ask Pre-K 4 SA directly how that criterion applies to its seats.

Participating districts. Pre-K 4 SA's enrollment page lists East Central, Edgewood, Harlandale, North East, Northside, San Antonio and Southwest ISDs. Its eligibility page also names South San Antonio ISD and Essence Prep. If your address falls in one of those last two, confirm before you budget.

Non-participating districts. Judson, Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City (SCUC) and Alamo Heights ISDs do not participate. Families in those districts who live inside the city or ETJ can still enroll, but they pay tuition even if their child meets a Texas criterion.

A Judson family on SNAP, for example, would qualify for free pre-K at a Judson elementary school but would pay at Pre-K 4 SA. Our Judson and SCUC pre-K guide covers what those families can do instead.

Tuition by income

Families who do not get a free seat are placed on a sliding scale through Pre-K 4 SA's Investing in Education Scholarship. You enter household size and income into the online tuition calculator, and it returns one of six levels:

The brackets are tied to U.S. Census Bureau median family income for your household size. Pre-K 4 SA does not publish the income ranges behind each level in a readable table, so the calculator is the only reliable way to find your number.

Run it before you assume you cannot afford a seat. In 2024, the San Antonio Report noted that most families earning under $80,000 qualified for free seats. Treat that as context, not as a current rule.

Two details help families with more than one child. A 10% annual discount applies to a second or third child enrolled at the same time. And because Extended Day, meals and buses are included, the top annual rate of about $9,750 often compares well with full-time private care once you add after-school hours.

The five campuses and their 2026-27 status

This status comes from Pre-K 4 SA's enrollment page, last updated July 27, 2026. The program says paused applications may reopen if more seats become available, so check again before you give up on a center near you.

The South Education Center is new. It opened in fall 2025 on S. WW White Road, replacing the older South campus on S. New Braunfels Avenue, and it added infant and toddler classrooms.

That expansion is part of why South filled quickly.

What "full" actually means

Parents in local Facebook groups often describe Pre-K 4 SA as full for years ahead. The reality is narrower. A paused center has reached the size of waitlist it can reasonably serve this year. It does not mean nobody gets in.

• You choose a first and second choice center on the application, and you can call to add more.
• If your choices are full, you receive a waitlist email.
• Starting in February, offers go out weekly on a rolling basis as seats open.
• Families who applied before a center paused stay on its waitlist.

While East is still accepting applications, the most practical step for most families is to list it as a choice. If the commute works, an East seat may come much sooner than one at the center closest to home. Read our full Pre-K 4 SA East Education Center guide for hours, buses and how to apply.

Featured school

Pre-K 4 SA East Education Center

• Grades: Pre-K 3–Pre-K 4
• Location: 5230 Eisenhauer Rd, San Antonio 78218
• Tuition: Free if eligible, up to ~$9,750/yr

View profile

The enrollment timeline

The application itself takes under 10 minutes. You do not need documents or a Social Security number to apply. Documents come later, at registration: proof of the child's age, proof of address, proof of income, and proof of any eligibility criterion such as military orders or a benefits letter.

2026-27 calendar highlights

Confirm dates on the Family Portal calendar, since closures can be added during the year. If you rely on Extended Day, plan backup care for closure days now.

Prop A: the vote on Pre-K 4 SA's future funding

Proposition A, on the November 2026 city ballot, would reauthorize Pre-K 4 SA and renew the existing 1/8-cent sales tax for up to 20 years after the current authorization expires in 2029.

• It is not a new tax or a rate increase. It continues the current rate, about one penny for every $8 spent.
• It does not affect any seats before 2029. Current funding runs into 2029 either way. The City of San Antonio says the current authorization ends in March 2029, while KSAT reported June 2029.
• How it reached the ballot. City Council voted 7-2 on August 13, 2026. The two no votes cited the 20-year length and wanted more detail on spending.
• History. Voters approved the original tax in 2012 with about 53% of the vote and renewed it in November 2020 with about 73%.
• Stated plans if it passes. Program leaders have described more infant and toddler seats, expanded Pre-K 3, care for families with nontraditional schedules, and more partnerships. These are intentions, not commitments in the ballot language.
• If it fails. The program continues through 2029 and then expires unless a later election renews it.

Prop A is a City of San Antonio election, so only city voters decide it. SchoolPath does not take a position on Prop A.

If you are not eligible or not placed

1. Apply anyway and list East. A tuition seat may cost less than you expect.
2. Check your home district. Most San Antonio districts offer free full-day pre-K 4 to eligible children, and some sell tuition seats.
3. Look at Bezos Academy Universal City if your household earns under 400% of the federal poverty level. It is free and admits by lottery.
4. Ask about Head Start if your income is lower.
5. Consider charters and licensed centers. Check license and inspection history on the Texas Health and Human Services child care search.

Questions to ask Pre-K 4 SA before you accept a seat

• Which depot would my child's bus use, and what are the pickup and return times?
• How do I qualify for Extended Day, and what form does my employer need to sign?
• If I am waitlisted at my first choice, will accepting East remove me from that list?
• What happens to my tuition level if my income changes during the year?
• What supports are available for children with an IEP or developmental needs?

Frequently asked questions

Find your best-fit pre-K with SchoolPath

Pre-K 4 SA works well for many families, but it is not the only good choice. SchoolPath is a free school discovery platform built for San Antonio families. Tell SchoolPath about your child and what matters to you, such as location, schedule, cost and learning approach, and see pre-K and school options that match. When you find a program you like, you can connect with the school directly.