Hearth Record

A Step Above Preparatory Academy Inc.

A licensed child care center in Arcola, Texas 77583

5203 FM 521 Rd, Arcola, Texas 77583. (281) 431-5353.

Texas’s own record, on its child care search

Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. Texas’s own record is on its child care search.

The short answer

Record last released by Texas HHSC on Nov 5, 2026.

The last 24 months 10 deficiencies in 2 months of the last 36. Last cited Sep 2026. Most serious: High. Every month

Each figure’s source sits beside it, in its section below.

What these words mean5
Inspection (survey)
A visit by state inspectors, often unannounced, who check a place against the rules it must meet. For nursing homes and other places Medicare pays, CMS calls these visits surveys: a standard survey of a nursing home comes at least every 15 months, and a complaint survey whenever a complaint calls for one. Source: CMS; 42 CFR 488.308.
Deficiency, citation, violation
What inspectors write up when a place didn’t meet a rule: the rule, what they saw, and when. CMS calls it a deficiency; states may say citation or violation. It is the inspectors’ finding, not a court’s, and the place is usually asked for a plan to correct it. Source: CMS, statement of deficiencies (Form CMS-2567); each state’s licensing agency.
Texas’s risk levels
Texas gives each child care deficiency a risk level, by how likely it is to harm a child: Low, Medium Low, Medium, Medium High or High. High is its most serious. Source: Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Child Care Regulation.
Licence status
Whether the state’s licence lets the place operate now, in the state’s own words: licensed, on probation (allowed to keep operating on conditions, after problems), provisional, pending or expired. Source: Each state’s licensing agency.
Capacity
The most people the licence or certification lets the place care for at once: residents, children, beds or apartments, as the state counts them. It isn’t how many are there now. Source: Each state’s licensing agency.

What did inspectors find?

10 deficiencies cited in the last three years

The middle of the 477 child care providers in Fort Bend County had 4.

8 inspections on record. The latest, on Sep 30, 2026: no violation found.

Rated High by Texas: Infant May Not Sleep in a Restrictive Device, at the inspection on Sep 16, 2026

Source:

Texas HHSC, deficiencies (non-compliance data) and inspections and investigations. Released Nov 5, 2026. Updated daily.

When those deficiencies happened

10 deficiencies in 2 months of the last 36. Last cited Sep 2026. Most serious: High. The last 3 years, to Nov 5, 2026.

10 deficiencies by month over the last 3 years. Each cell is one month.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2023 Dec
2024 JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2025 JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2026 JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNov

Hover or focus a month to read it.

No visit on record Visited, nothing cited A stronger orange is more serious, on its source’s own levels, read onto four bands: from the least serious it publishes to the most
Source:

Hearth Record drew this from the dates and levels in the source’s own records.

Each deficiency, in Texas’s words

Grouped by visit, newest first, with the risk level Texas gave it, from Low to High.

Source:

Texas HHSC, deficiencies (non-compliance data). Released Nov 5, 2026. Updated daily.

Sep 16, 2026: inspection7 deficiencies

  • Infant May Not Sleep in a Restrictive Device

    “A 2 month old infant was observed sleeping in a swing. Note: The caregiver removed the infant from the swing.”

    Rule 746.2426(a)(1). High, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Sep 16, 2026. Correction verified: Sep 30, 2026.

  • Maintenance of Building, Grounds and Equipment

    “A pole in the back building was observed to be missing paint and exposing not only the sheet rock but a metal bracket.”

    Rule 746.3407. Medium High, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Sep 28, 2026. Correction verified: Sep 30, 2026.

  • Installation and Maintenance of Loose-fill Surfacing - Proper Depth Maintained

    “The loose fill has grass growing through out it and needs maintained to ensure it meets the required depth.”

    Rule 746.4907(d). Medium High, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Oct 9, 2026. Correction verified: Oct 12, 2026.

  • Electric or Battery-Operated Carbon Monoxide Detector-Install new Battery in Each CO Detector Annually

    “The smoke detectors in the front of the building are beeping.”

    Rule 746.5537(a)(1). Medium High, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Sep 18, 2026. Correction verified: Sep 30, 2026.

  • Director’s Absence - Caregiver in Charge Has Access to All Records

    “The caregiver in charge did not have access to personnel and children files while the director was away. Note: It was discussed with the director that access must be given to the caregiver left in charge while both directors are out of the building.”

    Rule 746.1013(a)(3). Medium, by Texas’s label. Corrected during the inspection. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Sep 16, 2026.

  • Children’s Records - Immunizations

    “Two childre’s files have screen shots for their immunization record.”

    Rule 746.603(a)(4). Medium, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Sep 25, 2026. Correction verified: Sep 23, 2026.

  • Required Personnel Records - Required Affidavit (Form 2985)

    “Two caregivers have affidavits that do not have a notary stamp on them.”

    Rule 746.901(4). Medium Low, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Sep 18, 2026. Correction verified: Sep 18, 2026.

Sep 17, 2025: inspection3 deficiencies

  • Safety - Areas Free From Hazards

    “A board is broken in half and hanging loose on the hand rail to the ramp leading into the back building.”

    Rule 746.3701. Medium High, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Sep 29, 2025. Correction verified: Sep 29, 2025.

  • Installation and Maintenance of Loose-fill Surfacing - Six Inches if Equipment 5 Ft or Less

    “The loose fill is not at the required six inches according to the heigth of the climbing structure.”

    Rule 746.4907(a)(1). Medium High, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Sep 29, 2025. Correction verified: Sep 30, 2025.

  • Required Records Maintained and Made Available - Personnel and Training Records

    “The staff files were not available during my inspection.”

    Rule 746.801(3). Medium, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Sep 19, 2025. Correction verified: Sep 18, 2025.

5 deficiencies older than three years
Sep 27, 2023: inspection2 deficiencies

  • Infant Care Area Furnishings and Equipment - Hand-washing Sink

    “The infant caregivers are using the hand washing sink to wash bottles as well as washing hands.”

    Rule 746.2405(4). Medium High, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Sep 27, 2023. Correction verified: Dec 11, 2023.

  • Maintenance of Building, Grounds and Equipment

    “School age room: The cork board on the wall is peeling. The wall near the restroom is peeling. Ceiling Tiles are drooping in the restroom. The vent fan in the restroom is visibly dusty. The white shelf is missing a chunk of material on the top exposing a screw. Outside: On the play structure there is a broken support clamp. Paint is peeling on two of the hand rails used for the ladder part of the climbing structure.”

    Rule 746.3407. Medium High, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Oct 27, 2023. Correction verified: Dec 11, 2023.

Oct 5, 2022: inspection2 deficiencies

  • Maintenance of Building, Grounds and Equipment

    “A whole was observed in the wall in the toddler classroom. Paint was observed chipping and peeling in the pre-k and school age classrooms. The wood hand railing into the pre-k and school age building is split causing the wood to separate and pose a risk for splinters, lacerations, and possible entrapment. Note: Pictures were taken for the file.”

    Rule 746.3407. Medium High, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Oct 14, 2022. Correction verified: Oct 14, 2022.

  • Children’s Records - Immunizations

    “One child’s file out of six reviewed is missing a completed immuniztion record.”

    Rule 746.603(a)(4). Medium, by Texas’s label. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Oct 14, 2022. Correction verified: Oct 14, 2022.

Jul 5, 2022: inspection1 deficiency

  • Floors, ceilings and Walls in Good Repair and Clean

    “The elctrical outlet cover is broken in the school age room. Note: A picture was taken for the file. This was corrected when the director replaced the cover.”

    Rule 746.3407(9). Medium High, by Texas’s label. Corrected during the inspection. Correction date, as Texas HHSC recorded it: Jul 5, 2022.

All 11 visits on record
Inspections, investigations and reports to the state
DateVisitWhat the record says
Sep 30, 2026InspectionNo violation found
Sep 16, 2026Inspection7 deficiencies cited
Sep 17, 2025Inspection3 deficiencies cited
Mar 7, 2025Report to the stateNo violation found
Sep 24, 2024InspectionNo violation found
Dec 11, 2023InspectionNo violation found
Sep 27, 2023Inspection2 deficiencies cited
Sep 22, 2023Report to the stateNo violation found
Oct 5, 2022Inspection2 deficiencies cited
Jul 5, 2022Inspection1 deficiency cited
Jun 27, 2022Report to the stateNo violation found

Is it licensed?

  • Licensed Center, permit issued Jan 17, 2012.
  • Accepts state child care subsidies.
  • Licensed for ages: Infant, Toddler, Pre-Kindergarten, School.
  • Capacity: 95 children.
Source:

Texas HHSC, child care operations. Released Nov 5, 2026. Updated daily.

Has Texas acted against it?

  • No corrective or adverse action by Texas on record.
  • 3 reports to the state on record; Texas doesn’t publish whether they were .
Source:

Texas HHSC, child care operations and inspections and investigations. Released Nov 5, 2026. Updated daily.

Who does the caring?

  • Texas doesn’t publish staffing levels for individual providers. State rules set staff-to-child ratios by age.

Who owns it?

  • Texas’s open data doesn’t list owners.

How is it rated?

  • Texas Rising Star: 2-Star (the first of three levels).
Source:

Texas Workforce Commission, subsidy providers and Texas Rising Star. Released Nov 5, 2026. Updated daily.

How does it compare nearby?

  • Among 477 child care providers in Fort Bend County, the middle value for deficiencies cited in the last three years was 4; this one had 10.
Source:

Texas HHSC, deficiencies (non-compliance data). Released Nov 5, 2026. Updated daily.

11 of the 477 in Fort Bend County, as the source lists them, same ZIP code first
PlaceDeficiencies, 3 years
Jennifer De Los Santos0
Childrens Social Montessori0
Puzzle Play Learning Center0
Demetra K. Bryant0
A Step Above Preparatory Academy Inc. This child care provider10
Riverbend Montessori2
Sugar Creek Baptist Mothers Day Out3
Rosenberg Kindercare6
American Heritage Academy and Childcare11
La Petite Academy4
The Townecreek School2
Lawanna Katrice Haley15

What the record doesn’t say

  • Texas doesn’t publish whether a complaint was substantiated.
  • Texas rates some paperwork slips as High risk, so read what was actually cited.
  • Texas doesn’t publish staffing levels or owners for individual providers.

Sources

If you believe something here is wrong, a correction starts with the agency whose record this copies: Texas HHSC or Texas Workforce Commission. Texas’s own record is on its child care search. If Hearth Record copied something wrongly, it will fix it and log the correction publicly, with its date: how corrections work.

Source:

This copy of the record was made on Nov 5, 2026.

From the provider

The public record above comes first. Anything the provider adds will appear here, below it, and say who wrote it.

Replies

None. Replies aren’t open yet. When they open, the provider will be able to answer any finding for free, and the reply will show beside that finding, unedited and dated.

Paid listing

None. Paid listings aren’t open yet. When they open, anything paid for will say “Paid by the provider”, and paying will never change a finding, a rating or the order of results.

How to read a record

Four things every record does, shown on an example record made up for this guide.

An example record, made up for this guide

An example nursing home

Made up for this guide: no real place is shown

Not fully inspected in over two years (CMS flag)

11 health citations at the latest inspection cycle

The state average is 14.3.

Source:

CMS, State and US Averages and Health Deficiencies. Released Oct 28, 2026. Updated monthly.

From the homeNone yet. Replies and paid listings aren’t open, and when they open they will sit here, below the record.

1 of 4

Every fact names its source.

Who published it, when, and how often it changes sit beside each fact, with a link to the agency’s own file.

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