Pre-K Eligibility
Tomball ISD Pre-K Eligibility
Tomball ISD Pre-K is available for children who meet age, residency, and Texas state eligibility requirements. Families must complete online registration and provide required documentation before eligibility is reviewed.
Important Registration Reminder Completing registration does not guarantee Pre-K placement. Tomball ISD must verify eligibility and required documentation before a student is approved for the program.
Quick Eligibility Check
Age Requirement
The child must be 4 years old on or before September 1 of the current school year.
State Requirement
The child must meet at least one Texas Pre-K eligibility requirement.
Documentation
Families must upload registration documents and eligibility documents during the review process.
District Review
Tomball ISD reviews each application before a student is approved for Pre-K.
Who Qualifies for Pre-K?
A child must meet the age requirement and at least one of the eligibility areas below.
Language
Unable to Speak and Comprehend English
The student will be tested by Tomball ISD. Pre-K qualification is pending test results and required language documentation.
Income or Program Eligibility
Educationally Disadvantaged
The student qualifies through National School Lunch Program eligibility, including income eligibility or approved qualifying program documentation.
Student Services Review
Experiencing Homelessness
The student qualifies through the district process when identified as experiencing homelessness under McKinney-Vento guidance.
Military Connected
Active Duty, Injured, Killed, or Missing in Action
The student qualifies as the child or stepchild of an eligible member of the armed forces, including qualifying active duty, injured, killed, or MIA status.
Foster Care
Current or Prior Foster Care
The student qualifies if the student has ever been in Texas DFPS conservatorship following an adversary hearing, or was in foster care in another state or territory and now resides in Texas.
Star of Texas
Eligible Star of Texas Award Recipient
The student qualifies as the child of a person eligible for the Star of Texas Award, including a peace officer, firefighter, or emergency medical first responder.
Tomball ISD Teacher
Child of a Classroom Teacher
The student qualifies if the parent or guardian is employed as a classroom teacher in Tomball ISD.
Prior Eligibility
Prior-Year Eligible or Pre-K Repeat
A student also qualifies if the student was eligible for Pre-K the prior year and did not attend, has not enrolled in kindergarten, or repeats Pre-K under state guidance.
Documents Families Should Upload
Registration Documents
- Official birth certificate or another legal document showing identity and age
- Parent or guardian photo ID
- Current immunization record
- Proof of residency
- Legal guardianship or custody documents, when applicable
- Medical Action Plan, when applicable
Eligibility Documents
- Income or qualifying program documentation
- Language testing and LPAC documentation, when applicable
- Homeless eligibility review through the district process
- Military documentation, when applicable
- DFPS, foster care, court, or placement documentation, when applicable
- Star of Texas Award documentation, when applicable
- Classroom teacher employment verification, when applicable
Eligibility Documentation Details
Unable to Speak and Comprehend English
Eligibility is determined through the required Home Language Survey, English oral language proficiency assessment, and LPAC identification.
Educationally Disadvantaged
Families must provide current income documentation or documentation showing automatic eligibility through an approved qualifying program.
Experiencing Homelessness
Eligibility is reviewed through the district process using McKinney-Vento guidance. Students experiencing homelessness must be verified annually.
Military Connected
District staff must verify qualifying military documentation. Tomball ISD does not make a copy of DoD identification cards.
Foster Care
Families should provide DFPS verification, court documentation, placement documentation, or other records showing current or prior foster care eligibility.
Star of Texas Award
Families should provide the Star of Texas Award certificate or other approved documentation showing the parent or guardian is an eligible recipient.
Child of a Classroom Teacher
Families should provide employment verification, such as an HR letter, new hire letter, or campus administrator confirmation showing the parent or guardian meets the classroom teacher definition.
Important Eligibility Rules
- Eligibility documentation for the upcoming school year is verified on or after April 1.
- Once a child is determined eligible, the child remains eligible for the school year without reverification, except where state guidance requires annual review.
- Tomball ISD must keep verification documents and required documentation on file for funding and audit purposes.
- For Emergent Bilingual eligibility, all required language documentation must be on file before the student is claimed for Pre-K funding.
- Missing or incomplete documents will delay the application review process.
Legal Framework
Tomball ISD follows Texas Education Agency guidance and state eligibility requirements for Pre-K. The following laws and guidance support Pre-K eligibility, documentation, and attendance accounting.
- Texas Education Code §29.153(b), Pre-K eligibility requirements
- Texas Education Code §29.153(a-1), district requirement to offer Pre-K when 15 or more eligible 4-year-old children are identified
- Texas Education Code §5.001(4), educationally disadvantaged definition
- Texas Education Code §28.02124, parent or guardian election for a child to repeat Pre-K
- 42 U.S.C. §11434a, McKinney-Vento homelessness definition
- Texas Government Code §§3106.002, 3106.003, and 3106.004, Star of Texas Award categories
- 19 TAC §89.1215 and §89.1226, Home Language Survey and language identification requirements
- TEA Student Attendance Accounting Handbook, Section 7, Prekindergarten