San Antonio, October 25, 2025
News Summary
The Pre-K 4 SA organization has officially opened the South Education Center on the city’s south side, a large-scale early childhood facility aimed at providing affordable, high-quality care for young children. Spanning over 53,000 square feet, this center is the result of a partnership between Pre-K 4 SA and HOLT Group. It features classrooms for infants and toddlers, enhancing access to early learning in a community with identified childcare shortages.
San Antonio — Pre-K 4 SA celebrated the grand opening of the South Education Center on San Antonio’s south side, marking the opening of a new, large-scale early childhood facility designed to expand affordable, high-quality care for infants, toddlers and preschoolers in a neighborhood previously identified as having a shortage of childcare options.
Top-line details
The South Education Center spans over 53,000 square feet and is located at 3510 South WW White Road. The facility was built through a public-private partnership between Pre-K 4 SA and HOLT Group. The project is intended to increase access to early learning, strengthen educational foundations for young learners, and respond to findings in the City of San Antonio’s Early Learning Landscape Study and a January 2025 report that recommended expanding access for infants and toddlers.
What the center offers
The new center is designed to serve infants, toddlers, and preschoolers and includes indoor and outdoor classrooms, training rooms, and offices. For the first time in the program’s footprint, the facility includes four classrooms for infants and toddlers. The design emphasizes independence and direct access to outdoor spaces where children can engage in play and supervised risk-taking, and interior spaces incorporate artwork and interactive elements at child level to support physical and mental development. Amenities include a family café for parents to connect with staff and check on their children while working remotely.
Capacity, demand and operation
Pre-K 4 SA currently operates at full capacity with 360 students across 16 preschool classes and four toddler and infant rooms. When toddler and infant enrollment opened in August, the center received 200 applications for only 40 spots within a week, illustrating strong local demand. The program plans to use its full complement of classrooms and support spaces to serve the current enrolled population and to provide teacher training and family engagement services onsite.
Funding and partnership
The Holt Group donated land and covered the $33 million construction cost, with Pre-K 4 SA to repay the investment through a lease agreement. The collaboration aims to provide affordable, high-quality early childhood education, particularly in areas of the city with limited childcare options. City officials, including the mayor and local council leadership, attended the opening and emphasized the project’s role in community support and economic vitality. HOLT Group leadership highlighted the link between affordable childcare, economic vitality, and workforce productivity as part of the rationale for the public-private partnership.
Meals and family services
Meals for the children are provided by the San Antonio Food Bank, encouraging healthy eating habits and social development through family-style dining. The center also includes training rooms intended for staff development and family engagement programs, aiming to build long-term educational foundations and parental involvement in early learning.
Why the center was created
The South Education Center was created to address the unmet needs for quality early learning options in the area, as identified by the City of San Antonio’s Early Learning Landscape Study. The January 2025 report recommended expanding access for infants and toddlers after finding that only 17% of available child care seats met the state’s quality standards before Pre-K 4 SA’s improvements. The new facility replaces the previous South Education Center on New Braunfels Avenue and is intended to expand capacity and raise quality standards in the south side community.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the South Education Center located and how large is the facility?
The center spans over 53,000 square feet and is located at 3510 South WW White Road.
Who built and funded the new South Education Center?
The Holt Group donated land and covered the $33 million construction cost, with Pre-K 4 SA to repay the investment through a lease agreement.
What ages does the center serve and what new classrooms were added?
For the first time, the program includes four classrooms for infants and toddlers.
What was the demand when enrollment opened for infants and toddlers?
When toddler and infant enrollment opened in August, the center received 200 applications for only 40 spots within a week.
How many students does Pre-K 4 SA currently serve at the South Education Center?
Pre-K 4 SA currently operates at full capacity with 360 students across 16 preschool classes and four toddler and infant rooms.
Who provides meals and how are meals organized?
Meals for the children are provided by the San Antonio Food Bank, encouraging healthy eating habits and social development through family-style dining.
What did the January 2025 report find about childcare quality?
Only 17% of available child care seats met the state’s quality standards before Pre-K 4 SA’s improvements.
Key features
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | 3510 South WW White Road |
| Size | Over 53,000 square feet |
| Capacity | 360 students; 16 preschool classes; 4 toddler/infant rooms |
| Construction cost | $33 million (land donated and cost covered by HOLT Group) |
| Meals | Provided by the San Antonio Food Bank; family-style dining |
| Design elements | Indoor/outdoor classrooms, artwork at child level, family café, training rooms |
Timeline
| Date/Time | Event | Status/Source |
|---|---|---|
| January 2025 | Report recommended expanding access for infants and toddlers | Completed — City of San Antonio’s Early Learning Landscape Study |
| August | Toddler and infant enrollment opened and received 200 applications for 40 spots within a week | Completed — Pre-K 4 SA |
| Grand opening (recent) | Pre-K 4 SA celebrated the grand opening of the South Education Center | Completed — Pre-K 4 SA & HOLT Group |
| Construction period (prior to opening) | HOLT Group donated land and covered construction costs | Completed — HOLT Group & Pre-K 4 SA |
Simple visual statistics
State-level childcare quality before improvements
Only 17% of available child care seats met the state’s quality standards before Pre-K 4 SA’s improvements.
Infant/toddler enrollment demand (applications vs spots)
When toddler and infant enrollment opened in August, the center received 200 applications for only 40 spots within a week.
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Additional Resources
- Express News: Pre-K 4 SA South Education Center
- Wikipedia: Early Childhood Education
- KENS 5: New South Education Center
- Google Search: Pre-K 4 SA
- Express News: San Antonio Mayoral Candidates
- Google Scholar: South Education Center San Antonio
- Community Impact: San Antonio Budget for Early Childhood Education
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Early Childhood Education
- News 4 San Antonio: H-E-B and SA Food Bank
- Google News: San Antonio Education Center Opening
Author: STAFF HERE SAN ANTONIO WRITER
The SAN ANTONIO STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HERESanAntonio.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in San Antonio, Bexar County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as Fiesta San Antonio, San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, and Dia de los Muertos. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County, plus leading businesses in retail, insurance, and energy that power the local economy such as H-E-B, USAA, and Valero Energy. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREAustinTX.com, HERECollegeStation.com, HEREDallas.com, and HEREHouston.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Texas's dynamic landscape.
