TX HB2779

School districts must contract with community-based child-care providers to operate prekindergarten classes if a bond election for classroom construction or repurposing failed within the past 24 months, or if the district cannot adequately staff the program

The commissioner may waive the contracting requirement if no qualifying community-based child-care provider exists within district boundaries

Creates an additional early education allotment equal to the basic allotment multiplied by 0.2 for each student enrolled in prekindergarten through a community-based child-care provider contract

Caps the statewide allotment at 10,000 students in average daily attendance, with a phased implementation: 2,000 students in 2026-2027, 4,500 in 2027-2028, and 7,000 in 2028-2029, reaching the full cap in 2029-2030

Prekindergarten contracting requirements take effect for the 2025-2026 school year, while the funding allotment provisions take effect September 1, 2026