An early childhood education nonprofit from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos could set up a tuition-free, Montessori preschool in Fort Worth, according to officials.
The Bezos Academy, which has 16 schools, including two in Dallas, is looking at a potential location in a proposed south Fort Worth apartment complex that the Zoning Commission recently recommended for City Council approval.
However, a Bezos Academy spokesperson emphasized no decisions have been made yet.
“At this time, we are exploring the possibility of opening a school in Fort Worth and are in the early stages of discussion,” a spokesperson said in a statement to the Fort Worth Report. “From our own research and conversations with community members thus far, we know there is a real need for an accessible preschool that operates year-round on a full-day schedule in Fort Worth, and Tarrant County in general.”
Each classroom at Bezos Academy has a maximum of 20 students, and a classroom ratio of at least one staff member for every 10 students. At one Bezos Academy in Dallas, the school has four classrooms so it can have up to 80 students.
Sabrina Watkins, who works with Bezos Academy, told zoning commissioners the potential Fort Worth preschool would have two classrooms.
Bezos Academy is for children who are 3 or 4. Eligibility is limited to families who make up to 400% of the federal poverty level. For example, a family of three must make less than $99,400 annually to enroll in the school.
Students are selected through a lottery drawing, with preference given to income-eligible children who are experiencing homelessness, living in foster care, siblings of Bezos Academy students, children of employees at the preschool and students transferring from another location.
“We are squarely focused on under-resourced communities,” Watkins told the Fort Worth Zoning Commission.
Bezos, whose $150 billion net worth makes him the third-richest person in the world, started the preschool nonprofit in 2018 as part of his Day One Fund. The $2-billion initiative focuses on a new network of high-quality, nonprofit preschools in low-income communities and funds nonprofits that help homeless families.
The Bezos Academy plan is part of a 7.2-acre multi-family development in far south Fort Worth that recently received approval at the June 14 Zoning Commission meeting.
The planned apartment complex at 7500 Crowley Road, just north of Sycamore School Road, is designed for 96 units with 76 units designated as income restricted, meaning the rented units are limited to tenants earning below certain total household income thresholds.
The apartment developer and Bezos Academy officials are discussing possibly giving preference to residents, who would need to meet the school’s income requirements, Watkins said.
The developers requested a change from a general commercial destination to a planned development for a medium density multi-family project. The Zoning Commission approved the plan on a 7-0 vote. The request will go before the Fort Worth City Council in July.
Dallas-based Generation Housing Partners is developing the apartment complex; the developer has completed several similar projects. The company is currently developing a similar multi-family site in Denton.
The developers proposed to house the Bezos Academy in a 300,000-square-foot building attached to the clubhouse community center, according to the plan submitted to the Fort Worth Zoning Commission. The complex also includes a swimming pool, sport courts, a playground and a fenced dog park.
Jacob Sanchez is an enterprise journalist for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at jacob.sanchez@fortworthreport.org or via Twitter.
Bob Francis is business editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at bob.francis@fortworthreport.org.
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