New facility offering early learning and family support slated to open summer of 2026
The Educare Network and Texas A&M University-San Antonio are preparing to open the first Educare school in the state of Texas. Educare San Antonio, the official groundbreaking for which was held Tuesday, April 1, will be located on the University’s nearly 700-acre campus in South San Antonio. The multifaceted facility is scheduled to open by the summer of 2026, with the school projected to impact over 200 children and their families.
The goal of Educare San Antonio, which will follow the model of other schools in the Educare Network, is to offer quality early learning and care for children from birth to age five while enhancing the early childhood education landscape in Bexar County. Educare will serve a vital need in South San Antonio and Bexar County, which have been designated a ‘childcare desert,’ with a severe deficit of accessible, high-quality early education options.
“Educare will be the gold standard for childcare and childhood education,” said A&M-San Antonio President Salvador Hector Ochoa. “The one-of-a-kind facility also represents our commitment to enhancing the region’s birth-to-college educational ecosystem, as it enables students and community members to access childcare and higher education while working full-time, strengthening the University and the city’s workforce.”
An initiative of the A&M-SA College of Education & Human Development, the 26,000-square-foot Educare San Antonio will include infant, toddler, preschool and kindergarten facilities, as well as areas dedicated to strengthening family-school connections and resources. Operating under the direction and guidance of the University’s early childhood experts, Educare will serve as an innovative teaching resource, helping train students studying early childhood education as well as business students looking to gain experience with issues like state licensing regulations and balancing budgets.
“We are thrilled to partner with the San Antonio community to bring Educare to the state of Texas,” said Educare Network President Dr. Kara H. Ahmed. “This school is the result of incredible partnerships representing the philanthropic, non-profit, business and early education sectors of the local community and will help actualize Educare’s mission to ensure every child across our country thrives.”
Educare San Antonio will be funded by the City of San Antonio, the Texas A&M University System, A&M-San Antonio, and various philanthropic sources. Partners in this collaborative initiative include city-funded Pre-K 4 SA and other community organizations.
Like the rest of the A&M-SA campus, Educare’s architectural style will reflect the classic beauty and craftsmanship of San Antonio’s historic structures, most notably the missions, with their distinctive brickwork and San Saba sandstone. Complementing this distinctive look will be fun and inviting accents, such as arches and canopies. Other features will include a covered communal plaza and classrooms that connect directly to outdoor spaces and play areas.
Educare San Antonio will be the 26th school in the Educare Network, whose evidence-based model provides dedicated environments that promote early learning and emphasize the importance of investing in a child’s first five years, during which their cognitive development undergoes rapid expansion.