On this day, February 7, 1970, the State Board of Education took an important step for Texas students by approving the first public kindergarten program statewide. Designed by Leon Graham, assistant commissioner for administration, the program was launched following authorization by the 61st Legislature. This marked a significant milestone in prioritizing early childhood education in the Lone Star State.
The roots of public kindergarten in Texas stretch back to 1893 when the first free program opened at Central Elementary School in El Paso. This achievement was driven by local philanthropist Olga Bernstein Kohlberg, who, along with the “Child Culture Study Circle” she helped organize, advocated for the education of young children. The group secured funding, hired a teacher from St. Louis, and persuaded the El Paso Board of Education to make it happen. While the state legislature appropriated some funds for kindergarten programs in 1929, the Great Depression and limited resources left public kindergartens available primarily through local initiatives for decades.
The 1970 statewide kindergarten program specifically aimed to support educationally disadvantaged children. Starting in September of that year, it served about 30,000 students, focusing on those from families earning $3,000 or less annually or those considered educationally handicapped. Over the next several years, access expanded, and by 1977-78, an estimated 237,000 students were eligible. While Texas eventually achieved universal access to public kindergarten, it was slower than many other states to make this a reality and still lags behind in participation rates.