Do Private Schools, Charters, and Daycares in Texas Have to Do Vision and Hearing Screenings?

Yes. Texas's school screening law is not limited to public school districts. It applies to public, private, parochial, denominational, and charter schools — and to licensed child-care facilities serving children age four and older. Many operators without a school nurse don't discover this until the state asks for their annual screening report.

What the Law Actually Covers

The vision and hearing requirement comes from Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 36, implemented by DSHS rules in 25 Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 37. The statute applies to any child of the required age or grade who is admitted to a "facility" — a term that includes schools of every type and licensed day-care and child-care centers.

Two companion requirements ride along for schools: spinal (scoliosis) screening under Chapter 37, and acanthosis nigricans screening under Chapter 95 for schools in designated Education Service Center regions.

Requirements by Age and Grade

• Vision and hearing — Four-year-olds (turned 4 on or before September 1), kindergarten, and grades 1, 3, 5, and 7. The four-year-old rule is the one that pulls preschools and daycares into the program.
• New to Texas — Any child enrolling in a Texas school or facility for the first time must have vision and hearing screening within 120 days, regardless of grade.
• Scoliosis — Girls in grades 5 and 7, boys in grade 8.
• Acanthosis nigricans — Grades 1, 3, 5, and 7 in covered regions.

Our Texas screening requirements guide lays this out grade by grade.

What This Means for Each Type of Program

Private, parochial, and religious schools

Same requirements as public schools, no exemption. Required grades must be screened each year, records kept in each student's file, and the annual report submitted to DSHS. Being independent of a district doesn't change any of it — it just means there's no district health services office doing it for you.

Charter schools

Charter schools are public schools under Texas law and follow the full set of requirements, including reporting. Small charters and single-campus operators are often the most surprised by how much screening they owe, because they have public-school obligations without a public-school nursing staff.

Daycares, preschools, and child development centers

Licensed child-care centers must ensure that children who are four by September 1 receive vision and hearing screening, and must keep the results on file. Child-care licensing inspectors can ask to see those records. Three-year-olds are not required to be screened, though many centers choose to include them.

Head Start and Early Head Start

Head Start programs already carry a federal requirement to complete vision and hearing screening within 45 days of a child's entry. In Texas, make sure the person doing that screening is a DSHS-certified screener or licensed professional so the same screening satisfies the state rule too.

Records and Reporting

• Individual records — Each child's screening results stay in their file and transfer with them when they move schools.
• Referrals — Families of children who don't pass must be notified and referred for a professional exam. See what happens after a failed screening.
• Annual report — Schools and facilities report screening totals to DSHS each year through the state system. Our reporting guide walks through VHSSARS step by step.
• Screener certification — Whoever screens must be DSHS-certified or a qualifying licensed professional. Keep a copy of the certificate.

The Practical Problem: No Nurse, No Equipment, No Certified Screener

Most private schools, small charters, and preschools have none of the three. You can solve it in-house by sending a staff member through DSHS screener certification and buying an audiometer (which must be calibrated every year). For a program with a handful of four-year-olds, that's a lot of overhead for a few screenings.

The alternative is to bring in a certified screening company for a half day. A mobile team arrives with DSHS-certified screeners and equipment, screens every required child, rescreens anyone who doesn't pass, and leaves you with referral letters and reporting-ready records. Vision & Hearing Screening of Austin started in 2008 when an Austin private school asked for exactly this kind of help, and private schools, charters, and preschools have been part of VHSA's work ever since. For a deeper comparison of doing it yourself versus hiring it out, see the alternatives to doing screenings yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my daycare have to do vision and hearing screenings in Texas?

If you are a licensed child-care center with children who are four years old by September 1, yes. Those children must be screened and the results kept on file.

Do three-year-olds need to be screened?

No. The requirement begins with children who turned four on or before September 1 of the current school year. Screening younger children is optional.

Do private schools have to report screening results to the state?

Yes. Private, parochial, and charter schools submit the same annual screening report as public schools.

We're a 40-student preschool. Is it worth hiring a screening company?

Usually, yes. Screening companies price per student, so a small program pays for a small job, and you avoid the cost of certifying staff and buying and calibrating equipment. Most small programs are done in an hour or two.

Do we have to do acanthosis nigricans screening?

Schools with students in grades 1, 3, 5, or 7 in a covered Education Service Center region do. Our acanthosis nigricans guide lists the regions.

See the full requirements by grade level →