Pre-K 4 SA is growing by two education centers in the fall. That means construction will soon be underway as the public gets its first look at the new center designs.
The centers, said CEO Kathy Bruck, are still heaps of dirt. But leaders are giving the first look at the new centers, which will hold up to 350 students when school begins.
The new centers means that Mayor Julián Castro's vision will be fully operational in the program's second year.
"The key to San Antonio's success economically in the future is to have a very well-educated workforce, and this is our future so we're going to start early," he said.
The East Side center will be located at Eisenhauer Road and Midcrown and will fit the look of the neighborhood with a more residential feel. GFR Development Services built the centers on the North Side and Southside, and will now construct the West Side Center.
Bruck said each classroom will have a door to outside learning areas. Castro said there will be a center on each side of town for convenience and to help more students get an early start.
"The fact is, that no matter what part of town you go to, there's need everywhere. And so we wanted to spread these things out evenly and be fair to the whole city," Castro said.
The West Side center will be located at Old Highway 90 and Hwy. 151. The design is similar to that of the South Side Center, which houses the administration team for Pre-K 4 SA. The entrance is in the center of the building, with two modules on each end of the center.
District 5 Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales said the only negative comments she's heard is that the center isn't being built in the heart of the West Side. But, she said, there are still families in need of these education services.
"We do have a Head Start also there in the center of town, but this one is a brand new center," said Gonzales. "People are really excited. We know that the teachers are highly qualified and to have a brand new sparkling center in the middle of our district is really the pride of the community."
Enrollment will be streamlined by Pre-K 4 SA this year, instead of families going through the districts to enroll. 1,500 students are expected to occupy the four Pre-K 4 SA centers when school starts.
With the last two center locations announced, the Pre-K 4 SA map is complete:
