Aledo is growing, and new preschools are opening to serve it. That’s good news for families. A new school can be wonderful, and every school was new once. Grace was new in 2019. But choosing a school before its doors open is a different decision than choosing one you can walk through today. These nine questions will help you make that decision with confidence. Bring them to any new program, and bring them to us too.
1. Is the school licensed yet, and can I look it up?
In Texas, a licensed child-care center holds a permit from Texas Health and Human Services, and you can look up any licensed program, its permit, and its inspection history on the state’s public child-care search. If a new school isn’t listed yet, ask where it is in the process and when it expects its permit. Some programs operate under a legal exemption from licensing, so it’s worth knowing which kind you’re choosing. Here’s the difference, explained plainly.
2. When will it open, and what happens if the date moves?
Buildings, inspections, and hiring can all take longer than planned. That’s nobody’s fault, but it matters if you’re counting on a start date. Ask whether your deposit or registration fee is refundable if the opening slips, and what the plan is for families who need care on the original date.
3. Can I tour the real classrooms?
Renderings and model photos are a fine start. Before you commit, ask when you can walk through the actual rooms your child will use: the classroom, the bathrooms, the playground, and the entry.
4. Who is the director, and how long have they run a school?
The director sets the tone for everything that happens in a building. Ask who will lead the school day to day, what they’ve led before, and whether they’ll be on campus most days.
5. Who will my child’s teacher be, and can I meet them?
A new school may still be hiring, and that’s normal. Ask how many teachers are already hired, what training they’ll have before the first day, and whether you can meet your child’s teacher before you enroll.
6. What curriculum will you use, by name?
“Play-based” is a philosophy, not a curriculum. A school that has planned its classrooms carefully can tell you the curriculum it will use and show you what a week of lessons looks like for your child’s age.
7. What will a normal day look like, hour by hour?
Ask for a sample schedule for your child’s age group: arrival, learning time, meals, outdoor play, rest, and pickup. A clear answer shows the day has been thought through.
8. How will you keep children safe at the door and at pickup?
Ask how visitors get in, who can pick up your child, and how pickup is checked. Ask about cameras, fencing, and what happens in a weather or lockdown drill. These are fair questions for any school, new or not.
9. Who can I talk to about the people behind it?
A new school won’t have reviews yet, and that isn’t a mark against it. You can still ask about the founder’s and director’s past work, and who you could talk to about it.
When you tour, watch for this
A new school may honestly say “we’re still finalizing that,” and for some things that’s a fair answer. The useful part is knowing which answers you need settled before you commit. For most families, those are the state permit, the opening date and deposit terms, and meeting the person who will lead your child’s classroom.
How we’d answer these at Grace
We’d want you to ask us every one of these questions too. Here’s where we stand:
- We’re licensed by Texas Health and Human Services. You can look up our permit and every inspection on the state’s public search anytime.
- We’ve been open and teaching in Aledo since 2019.
- On your tour you’ll see every classroom, the playgrounds, the kitchen, and our security setup.
- You’ll meet our teachers, and Dawn leads tours herself. She’s on campus every day.
- Our curriculum is Frog Street, and we’re glad to show you how it looks in your child’s room.
- You can read what Grace families say in our Google reviews.