If you applied to the local tuition-based Pre-K lottery and didn't get drawn — or you missed the window entirely, or you're stuck on a waitlist that isn't moving — first, breathe. You're not the only family in this position this June. And there's a clear path forward that doesn't require waiting on someone else's decision.
The 30-second version
You don't have to wait. Year-round private preschools like Grace Learning Tree enroll on a rolling basis — no lottery, no two-week window, no waitlist anxiety. Tour, decide, enroll. Your year is planned.
Three scenarios — here's what each one looks like
Scenario 1: You applied and weren't drawn
You're on a waitlist now, drawn in some order, with a wait that "may or may not move." Some families do get called from the waitlist over the summer; many don't. The catch is you can't plan your August around it.
What most Aledo families do: stay on the waitlist (costs nothing) AND tour a year-round private option simultaneously. If you find a fit you love, you enroll there with confidence and forget the waitlist. If the waitlist ever calls, you make a fresh decision at that point.
Scenario 2: You missed the May lottery window
The tuition-based Pre-K lottery only opens for a two-week window each spring. If life got in the way during May, the program won't open another application path until next year. Your child is also on a defacto waitlist (lottery applicants typically have priority), but that's not a plan you can hang August on.
What most missed-window families do: shift focus to a year-round private option immediately. Rolling enrollment means no annual window to miss — tour when it works for you, and if it's a fit, your child can start within a couple of weeks.
Scenario 3: You got drawn, but the schedule doesn't actually fit your life
Some families get accepted, look more carefully at the 7:40am-3:10pm schedule + school-calendar holidays + paid after-school care + summer gap, and realize the all-in cost and logistical fit don't actually work for their two-working-parent week.
What these families typically do: politely decline the spot (which moves the waitlist for someone else) and enroll in a year-round private program where the day already covers 7am-6pm and the calendar covers all 52 weeks. See our honest 9-point comparison of the two paths.
What Grace Learning Tree offers if you're looking
We're a family-owned, faith-based preschool in Aledo at 9875 E Bankhead Hwy. Year-round, 7am-6pm, ages 6 weeks through Kinder Bridge. Rolling enrollment: when you tour and decide we're the fit, you're in.
- No lottery, no annual window, no waitlist anxiety.
- Frog Street curriculum — named, research-based, used in every age group.
- Brightwheel parent app — real-time photos throughout the day, daily report, direct teacher messaging.
- Aledo ISD kindergarten readiness built specifically around what Aledo ISD kindergarten teachers expect.
- Named director on campus daily (Dawn Wright, founder).
- Real teachers — named and pictured on our team page, not stock photos.
- Transparent tuition shared openly on every tour.
- Faith-based optional — kindness, gratitude, character woven into each day. Families of every background welcomed warmly.
How fast can my child start?
It depends on classroom availability in your child's age group. For most age groups, we can usually start a child within 1-2 weeks of completing enrollment paperwork. We'll be transparent about availability the same day you tour.
If you want a deeper comparison first
If you're trying to decide between waiting on the waitlist vs. enrolling at Grace, we wrote an honest 9-point breakdown of the two paths — schedule, calendar, age range, lottery vs. rolling, curriculum, faith, communication, total cost, and continuity. No spin, just the actual differences.
Tour Grace this week.
If you're not sure about your fall plan, the fastest way to find out is a tour. Pick a time online — it takes 60 seconds. We'll show you every classroom, introduce you to teachers, and give you tuition in writing the same day.
Schedule Your Tour →