“He credits Montessori early childhood education with making him and his family successful,” the school said.
DALLAS — A new preschool chain in Texas is recruiting students, but the best part is that parents won't have to pay anything for their children to attend.
Billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has opened 10 preschools in Texas, all of which are tuition-free.
“He believes that Montessori early childhood education has set him and his family up for success. And when he was deciding how he wanted to spend his money, this was right at the top of the list. ,” Bezos Academy spokeswoman Alison Reeder said.
It has campuses in Old East Dallas, North Dallas, Lancaster and Cockrell Hill, with additional campuses planned in Denton and Oak Cliff.
There are also schools in Houston and San Antonio, as well as other schools across the country.
“We are tuition-free, which means families making less than $120,000 a year are eligible to attend here,” said Canetria Doolin, director of Bezos Academy in North Dallas.
You will need a lottery to register, but your chances are much higher than Powerball. Bezos Academy is aimed at children ages 3 to 5. Classes are held 5 days a week.
But interested parents should hurry. Applications are due by Monday, May 13th.
“We know that about 50 percent of 3- to 5-year-olds in the United States do not attend kindergarten. A big reason for that is accessibility and affordability. I can’t afford to be a part of anything that’s nearby and that’s exactly what we’re trying to solve,” the leader added.
Lavoris McGruder and her husband were paying $400 a month to send their son to day care until she found Bezos Academy.
“Then when we were told tuition would be free, my husband and I were like, 'Hey!' We'll take it,” she exclaimed.
McGruder said she can already see a difference in her 4-year-old son.
“It's much easier for him to do things himself. We've gotten to the point where he can go downstairs and make himself toast for breakfast, and I owe it to Bezos,” “Because they're always challenging Bezos,” she added.
Read the full interview with Lavoris McGruder here.
The North Dallas campus has four classrooms and can accommodate 80 children. It opened in November last year.
Bezos appears to be investing for the long term. The school will enter into her 10-year lease with a partner it has identified from the community in need.
A recent study from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin said the lack of affordable child care costs the Texas economy more than $11 billion annually.
In some Texas communities, preschool costs are too high or preschools don't exist, so parents can't go to work.
In this week's episode of Y'all-itics, UT researchers offer potential policy solutions.
