Access Isn’t the Same as Equity: What “Universal PreK” Doesn’t Solve

For most of my childhood, I thought school was school.

Then one day, I missed my bus to my magnet school on Chicago’s lakefront and had to attend my neighborhood school in Humboldt Park instead.

I remember realizing how academically far ahead I was compared to many students my age. That moment stayed with me.

At the time, I did not have the language for what I was seeing. Now I do.

The differences I saw were not about ability. They were about access and resources.

Today, I live and work in Texas, a state that has made important strides in expanding access to PreK. On paper, that matters. Early childhood education is one of the most powerful investments we can make.

But access alone does not guarantee equity.

Even when children can attend PreK, the quality of their educational experience and the experiences that follow are still shaped by how schools are funded.

In Texas, like many states, school funding is deeply tied to local property taxes. While there are mechanisms intended to balance funding across districts, the reality is that communities with higher property values often have access to more resources, more opportunities, and more stability.

What this means in practice is simple.

Two children can both attend PreK.
What comes next can look very different depending on where they live.

Expanding access to early education is important. It cannot be the end of the conversation.

If we are serious about equity, we have to examine how funding systems operate and who they ultimately serve.

We’ve expanded access. Now we have to confront whether the system those children enter is truly equitable.

A child’s zip code should not determine the quality of their education. Too often, it still does.

-Jessica Adam, M.Ed