News & Events

Families interested in enrolling students in pre-K through 12th grade at one of YES Prep Public Schools’ 26 campuses for the 2024-2025 school year can sign up for the new student lottery 24 hours a day beginning Friday, Oct. 13. All YES Prep schools are tuition-free and open to all children with no special admissions requirements. 

For 25 years, YES Prep — one of the fastest growing and highest performing public charter school systems in the U.S. — has served students in grades 6-12, making high-quality education accessible to neighborhoods that historically were left out. Recognized by U.S. News & World Report as having some of the best schools in the nation, YES Prep began opening elementary schools in 2020 to provide the same quality education to families with younger children.  

YES Prep continues to expand and plans to open a record three new elementary schools next school year: Hobby Elementary, Southwest Oaks Elementary and North Rankin Elementary. YES Prep plans to have 10 elementary schools to serve 10,000 Houston children in pre-K through fifth grade by 2025.  

“We are redefining what’s possible in public education, equipping students with the tools they need to excel in elementary school, secondary school, college, careers and beyond,” YES Prep CEO Mark DiBella said. “At YES Prep, we believe every student can graduate college-ready, and that starts in pre-K. Our passionate educators, who are the best in their field, provide personalized instruction and work with families to make that happen for each student.”  

To enroll at YES Prep, families sign up for a randomized, automated lottery, which is used when there are more students interested in attending a school than available classroom space. The lottery application is open 24/7 from Oct. 13 through Feb. 18. Submissions received after Feb. 18 will be automatically waitlisted and offered seats as they become available. Families will learn the lottery’s results on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. 

In addition to robust academic and extracurricular programs, all YES Prep campuses provide free meals, electronic devices, transportation, special education, English language learning, and access to healthcare, mental health and other student support services.  

YES Prep encourages parents and guardians to apply as soon as the lottery window opens to have the best chance to attend a YES Prep school. Families seeking additional information are invited to call 713-967-9000 or visit yesprep.org/sayYES.

In line with its tradition of celebrating and recognizing excellence, YES Prep Public Schools is proud to announce the unanimous appointment of Eric Calderon as the new Board Chair. 

For 25 years, YES Prep Public Schools has been at the forefront of educational leadership, empowering students from all backgrounds in Houston to achieve college success and pursue lives of opportunity. The school's Board of Directors strives to build an enduring legacy of academic brilliance that currently benefits over 18,000 students. Selecting Mr. Calderon embodies this core mission. 

A Unanimous Decision in Leadership Transition

On September 15, 2023, during its quarterly board meeting, the YES Prep Board unanimously elected Mr. Calderon as the Board Chair, succeeding his previous role as the Vice-Chair. The synergistic relationship between the charter school's CEO and the Board Chair remains pivotal for accomplishing the overarching mission. 

CEO Mark DiBella expressed his enthusiasm for this new chapter, stating, “Eric has faithfully served YES Prep for many years as our Program Committee Chair and Vice Board Chair, and we are excited about YES Prep's future under Eric's leadership. I am personally excited about the opportunity to learn from and work with Eric as YES Prep's next Board Chair.”  

Outgoing Chair Melanie Trent has overseen significant milestones, including steering the institution during the pandemic, initiating YES Prep’s elementary school segment, and successfully concluding the 'Leading Houston Forward' campaign, raising an impressive $80 million to back the school's growth aspirations.  

Reflecting on her tenure and passing the torch, Ms. Trent remarked, "Serving as the Board Chair has been an immense honor. My commitment to YES Prep remains unwavering, and I am wholeheartedly optimistic about Eric leading the way." 

About Eric Calderon 

A Houston native, Eric Calderon has donned multiple hats – entrepreneur, engineer, and fervent advocate for education. He embarked on his journey with YES Prep's Board in 2017, and his tenure has been marked by various noteworthy stints, including chairing the Program Committee.  

Deeply influenced by his transformative educational experiences, Calderon's vision emphasizes robust engagement across students, staff, and the community.  

In reflection on his new appointment, Mr. Calderon shared, “YES Prep students deserve a chance to hear YES more often in life. I want them to know that when you put your mind to something, when you put your talents to something, great things will happen. It’s not the singular YES of YES Prep, but the YES of a lifetime of opportunity.”

Vision for the Future of YES Prep

Apart from Calderon's appointment, the YES Prep Board has also welcomed Michol Ecklund as Vice Chair, Ben Marshall as Treasurer, and Luly Castillo as Secretary. The school remains steadfast in its commitment to provide students and families with unparalleled educational opportunities. The entire Board is confident that under Eric Calderon's stewardship, YES Prep's illustrious legacy will continue to flourish.

YES Prep was awarded a $50,000 Wins for Kids grant on behalf of the Astros Foundation in partnership with Chevron for their work in developing education, social, health and community institutions that empower families to transform their lives, as well as being a key part of preparing Houston-area youth for futures in the sciences.

YES Prep proudly recognizes Amanda Jones, D’Juan Hych and Laureen Wimbley for demonstrating outstanding leadership within their community and across their professional roles and providing extraordinary impact for students in YES Prep schools.

Jones, Hych and Wimbley were formally recognized in May at the Texas Black Excellence Professional (TBE) Networking reception.

YES Prep is proud to have these exemplary educators among its staff and administration and thank them for empowering all students to succeed in college and to pursue lives of opportunity.

This year, Senior Signing Day looked much different than ever before. Hosted at NRG Stadium on Thursday, May 18, we introduced a new format to our annual event: two programs in one day. In the morning, we welcomed Eisenhower, Northbrook, Southside, North Forest, Southeast, North Central and East End. In the afternoon, we were joined by Brays Oaks, Fifth Ward, Gulfton, Northside, Southwest, West and White Oak.

In total, YES Prep had over 1,600 seniors in the Class of 2023, the largest graduating class thus far. Combined, our seniors submitted over 17,500 applications to 651 colleges and universities and received 11,000 offers of admissions. On average, each student submitted an average of 11 applications.

On March 7, 2023, YES Prep Public Schools will be celebrating its 25th birthday. On this day, 25 years ago, YES Prep received its official charter from the State of Texas.

The YES Prep landscape looks drastically different since those 25 years. We invited our most tenured staff, who have been with YES for over 20 years, to share what YES Prep looked like way back when and their thoughts on where we are today.

On Thursday, March 2, 2023, YES Prep Public Schools welcomed Houston leaders across the business and philanthropic communities for the 18th Annual Oil & Gas Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament at Corinthian Houston. More than 550 guests attended the record-breaking event that raised $2.1 million to support YES Prep’s 24 campuses across Houston, which serve over 17,800 students in grades pre-K-4 and 6-12.

Nearly 80 corporate, foundation and individual sponsors and their guests attended the event that raised over $1 million through sponsorships and an additional $1.1 million through night-of giving at the tournament.

The Oil & Gas Texas Hold 'Em Tournament is an annual event, made popular by Houston’s oil and gas industry. Since the first tournament in 2006, the event has raised over $20 million towards providing YES Prep students with the high-quality education they need and deserve.

All funds raised at this year's event supported YES Prep's Leading Houston Forward Campaign. This is a five-year plan to build YES Prep elementary schools, add 10,000 high quality seats and strengthen its results with capacity to serve 22,000 students by 2025. Thanks to generous sponsors and attendees at this event, the $80 million fundraising campaign finishing line was reached!

Rating Action: Moody's assigns Baa2 to YES Prep Public Schools,
TX's Education Revenue Bonds, Series 2023; outlook revised to
positive

Due to the Houston Astros Worlds Series Victory Parade that took place in Downtown Houston on Monday, November 7, the Sixth Annual Leading Houston Forward Luncheon was cancelled.Despite not holding the luncheon, the nearly $800,000 in sponsorship dollars raised continues to make a difference. This year’s event recognized our incredible educators for their tireless work to ensure our students are college ready and prepared to pursue lives of opportunity. Thank you for your support of the YES Prep mission to empower all Houston students to succeed in college and to pursue lives of opportunity.

In front of a packed YES Prep crowd, including YES students in eighth grade and up, the 21st annual Senior Signing Day (SSD) was held on May 25, 2022, at the Toyota Center, home of the Houston Rockets.  

Kicking off the event was Roberto Treviño, managing director of college initiatives, who welcomed and introduced the student performance groups that would provide the event’s entertainment throughout the program. The student performance groups in attendance were: White Oak Nation (W.O.N.) Dance Team, Southside Secondary’s Dazzling Giants Dance Team, Southeast Secondary’s Steppers as well as the Pure Gold Dance Team, and Gulfton’s Insanity Dance Team. 

CEO Mark DiBella gave the formal welcome and congratulated the Class of 2022 for all they had accomplished amidst a global pandemic, “Today is yours! This celebration is yours!” He also gave a hearty welcome to Southside Secondary’s first graduating class and addressed the junior class, reminding them that in just a few short months they'll be walking this stage, too.  

With the addition of Southside Secondary, this senior class is the largest in YES Prep’s history, with over 90% being first-generation college-bound, and joining an alumni network 10,000 strong. DiBella’s special message to our outgoing seniors, “Whether you’re off to college, heading to the armed forces, or joining the workforce, my charge to you is: You are extraordinary, so be extraordinary. Seniors, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU for all that you’ve given to YES Prep. I wish you all the best in the years to come!”

All 10 of our qualifying YES Prep secondary schools ranked in the top 12% best high schools in the nation in U.S. News and World Report’s 2022 rankings.  

Our accolades include five (5) of the top 500 schools in the nation, seven (7) of the top 100 schools in the state and seven (7) of the top 25 schools in Greater Houston.  

Learn how all ten secondary schools ranked here!

On Thursday, March 3, 2022, YES Prep Public Schools welcomed Houston’s leaders in the oil and gas industry, business and philanthropic community for the 17th Annual Oil & Gas Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament. For the first time since 2020, the event was held in person at The Corinthian in Downtown Houston.

More than 550 guests attended the record-breaking event that raised $2 million to support YES Prep’s 23 campuses across Houston, which serve over 16,400 students in grades pre-K-3 and 6-12.

Over 82 corporate, foundation, and individual sponsors and their guests attended the event, raising $950,000 through sponsorships and an additional $1,050,000 through night-of giving at the tournament. In a thrilling final round, tournament emcee Bill Heuer of iHostPoker crowned Jean-Marc Monrad, seated at the Vitol table, the winner of the 2022 tournament.   

Vitol was instrumental in the overall success of the event. Serving as the VIP reception sponsor, top sponsors and their guests were invited to the reception prior to the event in the Corinthian’s newly opened underground reception area known as “The Vault”. The Vitol Foundation capped off the night by matching every Vitol player’s night of donations resulting in an additional $150,000.  

Veteran educator and YES Prep CEO, Mark DiBella, was thrilled with the success of the Poker tournament to further YES Prep’s mission to support college readiness for every student. DiBella said, “At YES Prep, a record number of families are turning to our dedicated teachers and staff for the kind of education and care that can change students’ lives, helping them achieve at the highest levels on their path to college and careers of their choice.”

YES Prep Public Schools is proud to announce that the Kinder Foundation has made an incredible $1 million gift to our Leading Houston Forward campaign. Founded on the belief that all children deserve a high-quality public-school education, the Leading Houston Forward campaign will see the opening of 10 YES Prep elementary schools by 2024.

Sonia Manzano inspired, educated and delighted children and their families for decades as “Maria” on Sesame Street. On Nov. 2, the children’s and young adult book author addressed supporters of YES Prep Public Schools’ students at the Fifth Annual Leading Houston Forward Celebration Luncheon that raised more than $1 million.

Recognized as one of the “Greatest Latino Role Models Ever,” Manzano broke ground as one of the first Hispanic characters on national television. The Emmy-award winner continues her work to enrich diversity on television, on the stage, and in public education. Manzano addressed 300 YES Prep supporters at the luncheon, sharing her story, including educational inequities and overcoming adversity to become one of the most influential Latinas.

“At YES Prep, a record number of families are turning to our dedicated teachers and staff for the kind of education and care that can change students’ lives, helping them achieve at the highest levels on their path to college and careers of their choice,” Mark DiBella, YES Prep Public Schools CEO, said.

YES Prep welcomed students to two brand new elementary schools this year in addition to the two inaugural ones opened last school year. The nationally recognized public charter school system plans to open six additional campuses to serve 22,000 Houston children in pre-K through fifth grade by 2024.

YES Prep’s expansion is made possible with the invaluable help of generous supporters. Capital One, a longtime supporter of YES Prep Public Schools, was honored with the Chris Barbic Legacy Award. The award is named after the school district’s founder, Chris Barbic, a fervent advocate for quality public education for every student no matter where they live.

The luncheon, chaired by Debi and Mickey Barrett, will benefit YES Prep Public Schools students and recent graduates in college. The Barretts are champions of YES Prep students and their families, and Mickey currently serves on the Board of Directors. Other notable guests in the crowd included: Debi and Mickey Barrett, Debra and Mark Gregg, Jim Nicholas, Yasmin Huebinger, Leslie Smith, Lisa Helfman, Denise Hester, Ann and Richard Vaughan, Meredith and Ben Marshall, Dylan and Jordan Seff, Brian and Shirley Colona, Melanie Trent, Natalie and Steve Mohtashami, and Frank and Jill Stagg.

The evening prior to the luncheon, several top donors attended a private dinner and fireside chat hosted by Barbara and Michael Gamson. Guests joined Sonia Manzano and Professor Ruth N. Lopez-Turley, director of the Houston Education Research Consortium at Rice University, in a discussion about past and present educational inequities and efforts to support students from diverse backgrounds.

Hundreds of East End students, teachers and staff have a new school building to call home.

YES Prep East End Secondary, who has for the past 15 years provided a high-quality, college-prep education to children in Houston’s East End neighborhood, moved into their newly built campus at 8401 Lawndale St. on Wed., Oct. 20.

“The new building opens a new chapter for East End and way more opportunities for us,” YES Prep East End Student Council President Sarahy Ceja said.

The campus now will house middle and high school students under the same roof and includes a new gym, science and technology laboratories, art and music rooms, and a community park.

“I’m excited about the new gym,” freshman Israel Ortiz said. “And we get to have home games.”

With more students than ever turning to YES Prep Public Schools, the nationally recognized public school district plans to open its first elementary campus in the Northline community. YES Prep, which helps graduates –most of whom are among the first in their family to go to college—earn degrees at four times the rate of their peers, is expanding.

Houston families in Northline with children entering pre-Kindergarten through second grade in the fall of 2022 will have the option of attending YES Prep Airline Elementary School at 5815 Airline Dr. In subsequent years, the Airline campus will add classes and grow students into third, fourth and fifth grades.

YES Prep Northline, which currently serves students in sixth through 10th grades (and 11th through 12th in subsequent years), will next school year move to its newly built campus at 441 Little York.

With 23 public charter school campuses serving more than 17,000 students, YES Prep is nationally ranked by U.S. News and World Report, The Washington Post _and others, and has consistently been named one of Houston’s “Best Places to Work” by the _Houston Business Journal.  For more than 20 years, YES Prep educators have increased the number of middle and high school students from underserved communities who graduate from college prepared to lead. YES Prep plans to open 10 elementary schools to serve 10,000 Houston children in Pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade by 2025.

“We’re making all the preparations to provide the highest-quality education and warm and caring school experience families have come to expect at each of our campuses thanks to our dedicated teachers and staff,” YES Prep Public Schools CEO Mark DiBella said. 

YES Prep schools are tuition-free to all children with no special requirements for admittance. YES Prep campuses provide free meals, laptops, transportation, special education, English-language learning and access to healthcare, mental health, and other student support services. 

Teachers seeking the next opportunity providing students a college-ready education, and families interested in having their child attend YES Prep can learn more at www.yesprep.org.