A new elementary school has opened its doors in Alief, giving families in one of Houston's most diverse communities another public education option — and seats are still available for the 2026-27 school year. YES Prep West Elementary, located in the Alief community, now serves students in Pre-K 4 through second grade, with plans to add grades in the future.
The campus opened with a limited number of grade levels, according to CW39 Houston, and directly connects to the already-established YES Prep West Secondary, which serves older students. Mark DiBella, superintendent of YES Prep Public Schools, said the elementary campus opened the day before and connects seamlessly to the secondary school. According to YES Prep Public Schools, that secondary school serves 990 students in grades 6 through 12, meaning the new campus creates a full Pre-K through 12th-grade pathway for West Houston families.
Located at 9910 Sharpcrest St., the new campus cost $22 million to build and includes dedicated science labs, art and music rooms, special education classrooms, and grade-specific playgrounds, per the same YES Prep announcement. The school also offers music and library classes, provides core academic instruction, and gives every student meals without families paying out of pocket. Carolyn Tway, principal of YES Prep West Elementary, said the campus progressed from construction to classrooms filled with students, and families can enroll their kids for the 2026-27 school year now.
A Foundation Built Toward State Tests
DiBella said the school aims to prepare students for major state tests while building a foundation for later years, according to CW39's reporting. YES Prep Public Schools plans to build that strong educational foundation before students reach later grades and face major state assessments. The network says the new elementary campus will reach more children and families in the Alief area, which CW39 describes as one of Houston's most diverse communities.
The Alief opening is not a standalone project. In October 2025, YES Prep launched The Power of YES, a four-year, $80 million capital campaign aimed at building six new schools, adding 5,000 seats, and completing elementary feeder patterns across all of its Houston secondary campuses. That effort follows an earlier $80 million initiative, Leading Houston Forward, which created YES Prep's original 11 elementary schools. Founded in 1998 with a single secondary campus, YES Prep has grown to serve more than 21,000 students across 27 campuses in Houston, expanding its elementary program from just two schools in 2020 to 11 by late 2025, according to YES Prep Public Schools.
Traditional Districts Feel the Pressure
CW39 reported that YES Prep is expanding its footprint while several Houston-area school districts have closed or consolidated campuses. Alief ISD has lost roughly 8,000 students — an 18 percent enrollment drop — since 2015, with about 60 percent of departing students transferring to charter networks including YES Prep, KIPP Texas, and Harmony, according to Houston Landing. In response, Alief ISD launched new STEM and fine arts magnet academies for the 2025-2026 school year and is opening a public all-girls college preparatory school in Fall 2026.
The pressure extends beyond Alief. Houston ISD's board voted 9-0 in February 2026 to close or consolidate 12 campuses for the 2026-2027 school year due to declining enrollment, per Houston ISD. Texas Education Agency data cited by Houston ISD officials that same month showed more than 90 percent of students who left HISD during the 2024-2025 school year enrolled in area public charter schools. Adding another layer to the competition, the 2026-2027 school year also marks the launch of Texas Education Freedom Accounts, a $1 billion statewide program offering eligible families up to $10,474 annually for private school tuition and other educational expenses, according to Texas Standard.
Ribbon-Cutting Marks the Milestone
YES Prep leaders and Houston City Council Member Edward Pollard celebrated the campus opening on August 14 with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony, where Pollard presented a City Certificate of Recognition honoring West Elementary. The event marked the formal public celebration of a campus that YES Prep says will provide families in the Alief area with another educational option as enrollment battles continue to reshape Houston's K-12 landscape.
YES Prep's elementary expansion strategy is not new to the network. Hoodline previously covered a similar Brays Oaks launch, part of the same feeder-campus approach now bringing a Pre-K through 12th-grade pathway to Alief families.
