A Christian Preschool at the Heart of Lockhart
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church has served families in Lockhart, Texas for generations. While the congregation renews its public materials, its most visible work with Lockhart families carries on every weekday. Grace Lutheran Preschool, the congregation's Christian early childhood ministry, has welcomed children since 1977 and continues to introduce Lockhart's youngest learners to school, faith, and friendship.
The preschool operates from a dedicated building at 828 Fir Lane in Lockhart. Office hours run from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Families can reach the school by phone at (512) 398-6488 or by email at gracelutheranchurch.preschool@gmail.com.
A Ministry Founded in 1977
Grace Lutheran Preschool opened in 1977 as a ministry of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church. The school was founded to give Lockhart families access to quality Christian early childhood education in a setting where every child feels welcomed. The preschool still operates as a program of the congregation, drawing children from church families and the wider community alike.
The school's stated mission is to provide the best education to every child who walks through its doors in a loving, Christian environment. The preschool describes itself as a warm and nurturing community where every child is welcomed to learn, grow, explore, and belong.
A Day Built on Play and Discovery
Most of the school day is built around self-chosen activities that let children direct their own learning. The classroom offers puzzles, block play, dramatic play, and art, and children move between these areas at their own pace. Each morning during the school year, thirty minutes are set aside for a pre-academic and academic curriculum that introduces early literacy and number concepts through hands-on activities.
A planned music and movement group meets daily, giving children time to sing, dance, and develop rhythm and coordination. The four-year-old class adds a daily block of technology time that introduces young students to age-appropriate digital tools in a supervised setting.
Weekly Chapel and a Christian Curriculum
Grace Lutheran Preschool describes itself as a Christian school, and the spiritual life of the school is woven into the week. Children gather for a weekly chapel service where they hear Bible stories, learn simple Christian prayers, and sing faith-based songs. The preschool believes that a child's spiritual growth is as important as their social, physical, and intellectual development, and supports each child across all four through its age-appropriate activities and faith-centered values.
The school shares this Christian foundation with Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, the sponsoring congregation. The preschool is the congregation's clearest daily ministry to Lockhart families with young children.
Classes for Children Ages 2 Through 5
The preschool serves children from age 2 through age 5. Class placement is based on the child's age as of September 1 for the upcoming school year. Two class groups are offered:
- Three-Year-Old Class for children ages 2 to 4.
- Pre-K Class for children ages 3 to 5.
Families can choose between full-day hours from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and morning-only sessions from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. Some children attend all five weekdays, while others follow a Monday-Wednesday-Friday or Tuesday-Thursday rhythm. Grace Lutheran Preschool operates year-round and follows the local school district academic calendar closely, with breaks that line up with the Lockhart Independent School District schedule.
Meals Cooked In-House Each Day
Every tuition plan at Grace Lutheran Preschool includes a full breakfast, lunch, and snack each day the child attends. Meals are prepared in the school's in-house kitchen, with each meal cooked from fresh ingredients the same morning. Children eat breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack without parents needing to pack anything from home. The kitchen handles all food preparation on site, with a focus on fresh ingredients in every meal.
Tuition and Enrollment
An annual enrollment fee of $350 is due at the time of registration to hold a child's spot for the upcoming school year. After the enrollment fee, monthly tuition depends on the schedule a family chooses:
- Monday through Friday, full day - $855 per month.
- Monday through Friday, mornings only (7:30 to 11:30 a.m.) - $660 per month.
- Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, full day - $660 per month.
- Tuesday and Thursday, full day - $540 per month.
The preschool welcomes all children as space allows. Families can add their child's name to the school's online waitlist to begin the enrollment process, and the staff is glad to walk new parents through the paperwork, calendars, and chapel rhythm before the school year starts.
Meet Director Stephanie Gonzales
Stephanie Gonzales leads Grace Lutheran Preschool as its director. A proud Lockhart native and graduate of Texas State University, Gonzales spent nine years teaching first and second grade in the Lockhart Independent School District before joining the preschool, where she has now served as director for more than four years.
Gonzales is Texas certified in Early Childhood education and in English as a Second Language (ESL), and she has completed the Texas Reading Academies. She is also a Grace Lutheran Preschool parent: both of her daughters attended the school. Outside of school, she enjoys photography, traveling, and spending time with her husband, children, and their three cats.
Events That Mark the School Year
The preschool fills the school year with events that bring families into the classroom and onto the playground. Annual traditions include a Fall Fundraising Event, a Holiday Celebration, a Special Activities Day each February, Preschool Sunday in March, a Spring Wagon Parade in April, Muffins with Mom each May, and a Father's Day Picnic each June. The school year opens with the First Day of School and closes with a Graduation Day for the oldest students, marking the transition from preschool to kindergarten.
Families can subscribe to the preschool's calendar through Google Calendar, Outlook, or any iCal-compatible app, and can also add individual events directly from the school's events page.
Open Enrollment for All Families
Grace Lutheran Preschool admits students of any race, color, and national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. The preschool does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, or school-administered programs.
How to Reach the Preschool
The preschool office can be reached by phone at (512) 398-6488 or by email at gracelutheranchurch.preschool@gmail.com. The school address is 828 Fir Lane, Lockhart, TX 78644. Office hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Families can follow updates on Facebook and on Instagram.
The Church Behind the School
Grace Lutheran Preschool is a ministry of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, the congregation that sponsors the school and underwrites its Christian mission. The church, located at 108 N Medina Street in Lockhart, has long served as the home for the preschool and the families it welcomes. While the congregation renews its public materials, the preschool continues to carry out the church's ministry to Lockhart families day after day. Together, the church and the preschool form a single Lutheran mission rooted in Lockhart, offering Christian early childhood care that has lasted for nearly five decades.