By Fay Harvey听听
SAN ANTONIO 鈥� Construction has commenced on Texas鈥� first Educare school. Located on the Texas A&M San Antonio Campus, the project marks a massive stride for childcare accessibility, education and early childhood development studies in the area.听听
The $22 million, 26,000-square-foot building will be devoted to teaching and caring for children aged six months to five years. Educare, a nationwide provider of early childhood education, aims to provide quality early childhood education that doubles as accessible childcare for families representing a range of economic backgrounds. The school will also serve as a hands-on teaching resource for Texas A&M San Antonio students who are studying child development and business.听听
鈥淓ducare will be the gold standard for childcare and childhood education,鈥� said Salvador Hector Ochoa, Texas A&M San Antonio president, in a statement. 鈥淭he one-of-a-kind facility also represents our commitment to enhancing the region鈥檚 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鈥檚 workforce.鈥澨�听
The facility, which broke ground last month for a slated spring 2026 opening, is an initiative led by the Texas A&M College of Education & Human Development, with operation led by the university鈥檚 early childhood experts. College students will use the environment as a teaching model to study early childhood learning and understand best practices. On the administration side, business students will gain experience working through tasks such as state licensing regulations and balancing budgets.听
A home away from home for 200 students鈥攊ncluding infants, toddlers and students in preschool and kindergarten鈥攖he facility offers flexible classrooms for teaching, outdoor space for activities and areas dedicated to strengthening family-school resources.听
A mix of grass, astroturf and resilient pavement surfaces with walking paths will be integrated into the playground, which features climbing structures and slides that were designed with accessibility in mind. A small stage for plays and small-group activities is one of numerous activity areas included in the plans. These spaces for engagement aim to inspire artistic creation where children can use commonplace objects to engage in self-expression and dramatic play. For increased safety, both play areas and classrooms are shielded from outsider view.听
Designed by Austin, Texas-based Plufger Architects, the exterior of the facility aims to blend in with the surrounding Texas A&M Campus, reflecting San Antonio鈥檚 historic architecture, which uses brick and San Saba sandstone, a natural stone derived from quarries in San Saba, Texas. Building accents such as archways, canopies and a covered communal plaza will feed directly into play areas, seamlessly blending work and play .听
鈥淲e wanted the building鈥檚 form, materials and layout to honor the local context while providing a supportive environment for Educare鈥檚 innovative educational mission,鈥� said Chris Lammers, AIA, higher education practice director at Pfluger Architects, in a statement.听听
Funding for the first-of-its-kind facility is delivered through various sources including $4.4 million from philanthropy, $9.6 million from the city of San Antonio and $7.9 million from Texas A&M. The facility鈥檚 construction plans were first approved in November 2024 as part of the Texas A&M Regents sweeping approval of over $500 million in campus construction and improvement plans.听