REGULAR MEETING OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2026, AT 9:00 A.M. CITY HALL, BOARD AND COMMISSION ROOM #1101 301 WEST SECOND STREET AUSTIN, TEXAS Some members of the Early Childhood Council may be participating by videoconference. Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, contact Caitlin Oliver, 512-972-6205, Caitlin.Oliver@austintexas.gov. CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS/COMMISSIONERS: Choquette Hamilton, Chair Delphi Alvizo Brooke Freeland Cynthia McCollum Craig McNary Hilda Rivas AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Brianna Menard, Vice Chair Yvette Cárdenas Chloe Latham-Sikes Andrea McIllwain Alice Navarro Eliza Sears The first five speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Early Childhood Council Regular Meeting on January 14, 2026. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Austin Independent School District (AISD) school closure and pre-K expansion plans. Presentation by Yvette Cárdenas, AISD Executive Director of Academic Programs, and Jeremy Martorell, Director of AISD Child Care & Apple Blossom Programs. 3. 4. 5. Impacts of the federal child care funding freeze and Governor Abbott’s letter to Texas Workforce Commission and Texas Health and Human Services regarding child care funding. Updates from Madison Mattise, Senior Director of Child Care Quality Initiatives, Workforce Solutions Capital Area. Fiscal year 2027 budget recommendations. Updates from the January Joint Inclusion Committee (JIC) meeting. STAFF BRIEFINGS 6. Updates from related local early childhood groups such as Austin Chapter of the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children, Success By 6 Coalition, Child Care Regulation, and Workforce Solutions Capital Area. Briefing by Caitlin Oliver, Austin Public Health. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. For assistance, please contact the Liaison or TTY users’ route through 711. A person may request language access accommodations no later than 48 hours before the scheduled meeting. Please call or email Caitlin Oliver at Austin Public Health, at 512-972-6205 or Caitlin.Oliver@austintexas.gov, to request …
Austin ISD Update City of Austin - Early Childhood Council Date: February 11, 2026 Presenters: Jeremy Martorell & Yvette Cárdenas 2025-26 Austin ISD Pre-K Enrollment Grade Eligible Tuition Total Pre-K3 1013 Pre-K4 2253 Total 3266 47 701 748 1060 2954 4014 Enrollment as of 02/09/2026 2025-26 PreK4 Full-Day Locations Allison Andrews Baldwin Baranoff Barrington Bear Creek Becker Blackshear Blanton Boone Clayton Cook Cowan Cunningham Davis Dawson Doss Galindo Govalle Graham Houston Jordan Joslin Kiker Kocurek Langford Linder Maplewood Mathews McBee Odom Ortega Overton Padrón Palm Patton St. Elmo Summitt Pre-K students served at other campuses: Sunset Valley Barton Hills (Zilker) T.A. Brown Blazier (Uphaus) Travis Heights Highland Park (Brentwood) Uphaus ECC Lee (Maplewood Pecan Springs Walnut Creek Perez Pickle Pillow Widén Williams Winn Montessori Brentwood Guerrero Thompson Menchaca Pleasant Hill Wooldridge Bryker Woods Campbell Casey Casis Gullett Harris Hart Hill Mills Norman-Sims Oak Hill Oak Springs Reilly Ridgetop Rodriguez Sanchez Wooten Zavala Zilker 2026-27 PreK4 Full-Day Locations Allison Andrews Baldwin Baranoff Bear Creek Blackshear Blanton Boone Cook Cowan Cunningham Davis Doss Galindo Govalle Graham Jordan Joslin Kiker Kocurek Langford Linder Maplewood Mathews Brentwood Guerrero Thompson McBee Bryker Woods Campbell Casey Casis Clayton Gullett Harris Hart Hill Houston Menchaca Mills Norman-Sims Rodriguez Oak Hill Odom Sanchez St. Elmo Ortega Overton Padrón Palm Patton Summitt T.A. Brown Pre-K students served at other campuses: Travis Heights Barton Hills (Zilker) Uphaus ECC Blazier (Uphaus) Walnut Creek Highland Park (Brentwood) Pecan Springs Williams Lee (Maplewood) Perez Pickle Pillow Pleasant Hill Reilly Wooldridge Wooten Zavala Zilker PreK3 Half-Day Locations 2025-2026 School Year (23) Proposed 2026-2027 School Year (20) Barrington Becker Blanton Boone Casey Cook Cunningham Dawson Kocurek Padron Patton Pecan Springs Perez Pillow Sunset Valley Travis Heights Uphaus Early Childhood Center Widén Williams Winn Montessori Wooldridge Wooten Zavala Blanton Boone Casey Pecan Springs Perez Pillow Cunningham (pilot) Travis Heights Uphaus Early Childhood Center Williams Wooldridge Wooten Zavala Galindo Graham Kocurek Odom Padron Patton Pickle PreK3 Full-Day Locations/Classrooms 2025-2026 School Year Proposed 2026-2027 School Year Full-Day Austin ISD Head Start: 8 Full Day Apple Blossom: 9 Full-Day Austin ISD Head Start: 8 Full Day Apple Blossom: 9 Guerrero Thompson Houston Jordan Langford Oak Springs Rodriguez Sanchez Uphaus Early Childhood Center Allison Andrews Guerrero Thompson Harris Houston Langford Norman-Sims Padrón St. Elmo Blackshear Guerrero Thompson Houston Jordan Langford Rodriguez Sanchez Uphaus Early Childhood Center Allison Andrews Guerrero Thompson Harris Houston Langford Norman-Sims Padrón St. Elmo Full Day Child …
MEMORANDUM To: City of Austin Early Childhood Council From: City of Austin Early Childhood Council Budget Workgroup Date: February 11, 2026 Re: Fiscal Year 2027 Draft Budget Recommendations for Current Early Childhood Investments WHEREAS, in the City of Austin, 30% of children under age 6 live in households with low income; and WHEREAS, 94% of the children in households with low income under age 6 are children of color; and WHEREAS, decades of research prove that disadvantages begin the moment children come into the world because children born into poverty and children of color are disproportionately born early, at low weight, or with chronic illnesses, and are less likely than their peers to be ready for, or successful at school; and WHEREAS, current City investments in early childhood programs align with the goals and strategies of the GenATX initiative from the Office of the Mayor; the recently launched Infrastructure Academy; Raising Travis County, the voter-approved fund to support increase access early care and education and to afterschool programming; and the Austin/Travis County Success By 6 Strategic Plan, a data-driven community strategic plan designed to build more efficient and coordinated systems for quality childcare and childhood experiences; and WHEREAS, these existing commitments rely on sustained partnerships through social service agreements with Austin area providers, experts, and educators that provide preventative support, saving public dollars and interventions over the long term; and WHEREAS, the City of Austin issued budget cuts of 10% across-the-board to social service agreements for FY 2026; and there is another $16 million in projected cuts to social service programs in FY 2027; additionally, federal, state, and local economic recovery funds invested in early childhood programs have concluded; and WHEREAS, there are over 6,500 children on the Child Care Scholarship Waitlist administered through Workforce Solutions Capital Area; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Early Childhood Council recommends that the City of Austin maintain all current investments, contracts, and maintenance agreements in early childhood programs and infrastructure, including but not limited to: ● Maintain funding for contracts related to services for families and children within Austin Public Health and Austin Economic Development, as detailed below. These contracted services provide targeted, proven preventive measures for families with young children, reducing the need for more costly interventions later. (List #1-10) ● Maintain funding for public service child care service contracts funded through Federal HUD- CDBG funds that support parenting teens …
