Stephen F. Austin State University will phase out its Early Childhood Laboratory over the next few years because the program has become too expensive to maintain. The center, which is open to the public, is funded through fees paid by parents who use the center for child care, but it wasn’t enough to sustain operations.

Background

The university has paid an additional $750,000 over the last five years to make ends meet, according to a statement by the university. The center didn’t want to raise tuition owed by parents because the cost of care is already high, with tuition for the 2026-27 school year ranging from $885 for the Pre-K II classroom to $1,070 a month for infant care.

The university will phase out child care operations annually starting with the infant room in the 2027-28 academic year. Child care centers, while critical for the Texas economy, require significant operating costs, such as insurance, food and payroll, causing many to shut down because they can’t sustain the expenses.

Impact on the Community

The closure of the center will cut 72 high-quality child care seats for East Texas’ youngest residents. The loss of this program will have a significant impact on the community, which already has shortages in child care facilities. The Early Childhood Lab is consistently full with a wait list for families who want their children enrolled in a high-quality preschool.

Rebecca Boyett, the lead teacher in the infant room at SFA, started her career in 2014 and has cared for numerous Nacogdoches infants since. She believes the closure of the center will not be good for the community and has started a petition to keep the program going.

Original reporting: Texas Tribune (HLL/CB) — read the source article.