On August 5th, the Brays Oaks community celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony for the new YES Prep Public Schools Brays Oaks Elementary. This event marked the beginning of an exciting new chapter for local families, who will soon have access to YES Prep’s nationally recognized educational programs.

YES Prep Public Schools, with its 24 campuses serving 20,000 students across Houston, is celebrated for its rigorous academic programs, enrichment opportunities, and comprehensive student support services. Ranked nationally by U.S. News & World Report, YES Prep is tuition-free and open to all children, ensuring that high-quality education is accessible to every student.

Construction for YES Prep Brays Oaks Elementary is slated for completion in late June 2025, just in time for its August 2025 opening. The new Brays Oaks campus will initially serve about 350 students from pre-K to 2nd grade, with plans to add a grade each year until the school serves up to fifth grade.

All YES Prep Brays Oaks Elementary students will receive automatic enrollment to the high-performing YES Prep Brays Oaks Secondary, which serves grades 6-12.

Preserving Culture While Promoting Academic Excellence

One of the standout features of the new Brays Oaks campus will be its bilingual preservation program. As shared in a recent interview with YES Prep leadership, the program focuses on teaching English while ensuring students retain and celebrate their native languages. This immersive dual-language approach allows students to learn in both English and their original language, promoting cultural preservation alongside academic achievement.

“We have a really good bilingual preservation program where teachers are instructing students in English, but they’re not erasing their original language,” explained the school representative. “It’s so important to preserve that culture at YES Prep, along with being able to learn amongst your peers.”

Community-Centered Approach

YES Prep is not just bringing a school to Brays Oaks; it is embedding itself in the community. The school’s leadership has already begun establishing partnerships with local businesses, daycares, and institutions like the newly constructed Walker Library. This outreach is part of YES Prep’s broader vision to make the school an extension of the community.

“The vision for Brays Oaks is that school feels like home. It needs to feel like this is a safe place for students to come” YES Prep Brays Oaks Elementary Founding Principal Ashley Smith said. “I believe the school needs to be an extension of the community.”

The school is committed to being a resource and partner in the neighborhood’s growth. Whether through career days featuring local businesses, after-school programs that engage students in meaningful activities, or simply supporting local businesses by sourcing meals for staff events, YES Prep intends to play an active role in the community.

Addressing Critical Needs

According to the Child Opportunity Index 3.0, which measures social and environmental factors such as school quality and parent employment levels, Houston has one of the widest child opportunity gaps in the country and is among the worst three metros in the nation for “opportunity hoarding,” where children in some neighborhoods are less likely to graduate high school than their peers living just a few miles away.

All YES Prep schools are located in “very low” opportunity areas, as defined by the Child Opportunity Index. The new YES Prep Brays Oaks Elementary will be in an area with 0% pre-K enrollment and a “very low” high school graduation rate. With a 100% four-year college acceptance rate across all its secondary campuses, YES Prep is expanding to address these critical local education needs.

Area families have already begun submitting enrollment interest forms. While there are no admission requirements, a randomized, automated lottery system is used when there are more students interested in attending than available classroom space. The lottery for the 2025-2026 school year opens in October, and families can visit YESPrep.org to learn more.

YES Prep Brays Oaks Elementary will offer transportation for students who are accepted through the lottery system but live outside the designated attendance zone, ensuring that more children have access to the school’s resources.

YES Prep is also exploring partnerships with the Houston Food Bank to provide additional support to students and their families. Through the Backpack Buddy program, students will receive meals to take home on weekends, ensuring they have access to nutritious food even when school is not in session.

An Invitation to Partnership

As YES Prep prepares to open its doors in Brays Oaks, the school’s leadership is eager to build lasting relationships with the community and the Brays Oaks Management District. They encourage local stakeholders to reach out, collaborate, and explore how they can work together to support the neighborhood’s growth and the success of its residents.

YES Prep Brays Oaks Elementary will be located at 9060 Benning Dr, Houston, TX 77031. For more information about YES Prep Public Schools and to stay updated on the new Brays Oaks campus, visit their website and sign up for notifications about upcoming meetings and events.