Smaller Scholars
Licensed Center in Houston, Texas. License #854951, issued November 14, 2005.
- Address
- 1685 &1675 S Dairy Ashford, Houston, TX 77077
- Phone
- (281) 558-3515
- Licensed capacity
- 238 children
- Licensed for
- Infant, Toddler, Pre-Kindergarten, School
- Hours
- 07:00 AM-06:00 PM
- Days
- Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri
- Child care subsidies
- Not accepted
- Website
- smallerscholarshouston.com
Programs listed with the state: School Age Care, Accredited, Drop-In Care, Part Time Care.
Openings
This program has not told us about its openings. We only publish what a program confirms itself, so there is nothing here yet. Ring them to ask.
Texas Rising Star
Texas Rising Star, entry level
In the program and not yet star-rated. This is a stage, not a low score.
In effect since August 10, 2026. From the state's provider report of August 26, 2026.
Where this is
A map of this address loads when you ask for it. Nothing is requested from the map host until then, so opening this page does not tell anyone which program you were reading about.
The pin is where the US Census geocoder placed this address. About one in eight is interpolated along a street rather than resolved to a building, so treat it as the right block rather than the right doorway. How we source this.
What inspectors checked
Texas HHSC records how many individual standards it evaluated in each area of the rules, and how many it found violated. Across 22 areas it checked 2,968 standards at Smaller Scholars between June 14, 2022 and November 4, 2026 and recorded 20 violations. Those correspond to the citations listed above that were recorded from 2021 onward; anything older than that is in the citation list but not in these counts.
The 22 areas, one by one
| Area of the rules | Visits | Standards checked | Violated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope, administration, and communication | 2 | 242 | 0 |
| Record keeping | 2 | 225 | 0 |
| Personnel | 1 | 152 | 1 |
| Ratios and group sizes | 3 | 162 | 0 |
| Activities | 3 | 104 | 0 |
| Infants | 3 | 267 | 2 |
| Toddlers | 3 | 66 | 0 |
| Pre-kindergarten | 3 | 55 | 0 |
| School-age | 2 | 40 | 0 |
| Discipline | 2 | 40 | 0 |
| Naptime | 3 | 36 | 0 |
| Field trips | 2 | 22 | 0 |
| Get well care | 3 | 81 | 0 |
| Nighttime care | 3 | 39 | 0 |
| Nutrition and food care | 3 | 135 | 0 |
| Health practices | 3 | 338 | 2 |
| Safety practices | 3 | 220 | 2 |
| Physical facilities | 2 | 149 | 0 |
| Outdoor safety | 2 | 192 | 0 |
| Pools | 3 | 78 | 0 |
| Fire safety | 3 | 203 | 0 |
| Transportation | 2 | 98 | 0 |
The table adds up to 2,944 of those standards. The remaining 24, including 13 of the violations, were recorded under the state's own catch-all heading, “Individual Standards Evaluated”, which names no area. They are reported here rather than folded into an area above, because the state did not say which area they belong to and we are not going to decide for it.
A high number of standards checked is not a compliment and a low one is not a criticism: how many apply depends on a program's size, its ages served and what the inspector was there to look at. We publish the two counts the state published and do not turn them into a score. This data begins in 2021, which is later than the inspection history above it.
Ask about an opening
This goes to Smaller Scholars and nobody else. They reply to you directly: we do not sit in the middle of it, and we never pass your details on or sell them.
Tell me about new inspections
One short message each time Texas HHSC records an inspection here, saying that it happened and linking to the record. We do not tell you what the inspector found: a finding without whether it was corrected is misleading, and that pair belongs on the page rather than split across an email.
We ask for nothing but the address, and we send a confirmation first. Your list is never shown to this program, never sold, and every message has a link to stop. An inspection is routine: programs are visited on a schedule and after a complaint, and a visit is not a finding.
State inspection record
HHSC records 24 visits to this operation since October 2017, most recently on November 4, 2026, and 20 citations.
2 of those visits began with Smaller Scholars reporting something to the state itself rather than HHSC finding it. We publish that because it is part of the record and the state records it separately, not because it is good or bad: a program with none may have had nothing to report. 3,674 of the 12,933 programs listed here have at least one.
- 5High
- 11Medium High
- 4Medium
Every citation below records a correction.
Citations
Showing all 20. Indented text is the inspector's own, reproduced verbatim.
- Medium May 5, 2026 Correction verified June 10, 2026
746.2421(b): Written Feeding Instructions - Review and Update Every 30 Days
It was observed that feeding instructions for two infants were not signed or updated by the parent/guardian within the last 30 days.
- Medium High May 5, 2026 Correction verified June 10, 2026
746.3407(9): Floors, ceilings and Walls in Good Repair and Clean
Observed ceiling tile hanging down in classroom with children present.
- Medium May 5, 2026 Correction verified June 10, 2026
746.2409(a)(10): Safety Requirements for Cribs - Label for Each Infant
One infant was observed sleeping in a crib that was not labeled with the child's name
- Medium May 5, 2026 Corrected at inspection
746.3809: Medication No Longer Used
I observed expired emergency medication in the mediation cabinet. NOTE: This was corrected during the inspection by removing the medication to go back home with parents
- Medium High March 6, 2026 Correction verified March 17, 2026
746.3407(9): Floors, ceilings and Walls in Good Repair and Clean
In rooms PR 4 and PR 5, I observed major cracks within the walls' interior. In the same rooms around the crack, the paint is starting to chip.
- Medium High December 5, 2025 Correction verified March 6, 2026
746.3407(9): Floors, ceilings and Walls in Good Repair and Clean
In rooms PR 4 and PR 5, I observed major cracks within the walls' interior. In the same rooms around the crack, the paint is starting to chip.
- Medium High May 13, 2025 Correction verified July 18, 2025
746.3407: Maintenance of Building, Grounds and Equipment
The wood borders around the playground were broken, exposing sharp parts of the wood and nails.
- Medium High May 13, 2025 Correction verified October 2, 2025
746.3407(9): Floors, ceilings and Walls in Good Repair and Clean
In rooms PR 4 and PR 5, I observed major cracks within the walls' interior. In the same rooms around the crack, the paint is starting to chip.
- Medium High May 13, 2025 Correction verified July 15, 2025
746.5101(b): Annual Fire Inspection - Conducted by Fire Marshal
The last fire inspection was conducted on 4/25/24.
- Medium High May 31, 2024 Correction verified June 20, 2024
746.3407(8): Garbage Inaccessible to Children; Maintained in Sanitary Manner
I observed several rooms without trash cans covers.
- Medium May 31, 2024 Corrected at inspection
746.3809: Medication No Longer Used
I observed expired emergency medication in the mediation cabinet. NOTE: This was corrected during the inspection by removing the medication to go back home with parents.
- Medium High May 31, 2024 Correction verified June 20, 2024
746.1315(b)(1): CPR Training and Recertification Adhere to Guidelines-skill based
One employee did not have a valid hands on CPR training certificate.
- High November 2, 2023 Correction verified November 7, 2023
745.641: AP Background check results - Must receive notification prior to allowing subject to be present at your operation
The operation had one caregiver present who was counted in the child caregiver ratio and did not have an eligible background check.
- Medium High November 2, 2023 Corrected at inspection
746.3701(5): Safety - Play Materials and Equipment Safe
During the walkthrough on the playground, there was a plywood with a sharp nail sticking out. Along the toddlers playground fence there was a nail sticking up out of the board. NOTE: This was corrected during the inspection with the plywood being removed and nail being hammerd down into the wood.
- High August 18, 2023 Correction verified November 2, 2023
746.2805(1): Prohibited Punishments - Corporal Punishment
During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that a caregiver used prohibited punishment on a child in care.
- High August 18, 2023 Correction verified November 2, 2023
746.2805(7): Prohibited Punishments - Placing Child in Locked or Dark Room
During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that a caregiver locked a child in the restroom.
- High October 13, 2022 Correction verified October 26, 2022
746.1203(2): Responsibilities of Caregivers - Know Group Responsible For
The caregiver in room PR6 stated there were 17 children present, however 16 were counted.
- Medium High June 14, 2022 Correction verified June 28, 2022
746.1309(d): Documented Annual Training - Caregivers of Children Under 24 Months Required
2 caregiver in charge of children under 24 months old did not have the following trainings: 1. Understanding early childhood brain development. 2. Recognizing and preventing shaken baby syndrome and abusive head trauma.
- Medium High June 14, 2022 Corrected at inspection
746.631(b): Caregivers Have Access to Tracking System
The caregiver in room PR8 had 4 children napping in another classroom during her shift, but the children were not signed out on the name to face log. Note: This was corrected during the inspection.
- High June 14, 2022 Correction verified June 29, 2022
746.1203(2): Responsibilities of Caregivers - Know Group Responsible For
The caregiver in room TR1 stated there were 8 children present, but there were 9 children present. The caregiver in room PR8 stated there were 8 children, then stated there were 9 children, but there were 10 children present.
Do you have a child enrolled here?
If Smaller Scholars confirms you are enrolled, you can tell us what you actually pay. We publish price ranges by city and age so other families know what to expect, and the only reliable source for that is people paying it.
There are no reviews on this site and we are not adding them. We publish the state's inspection record and facts families confirm, not opinions. Your address is never shown publicly; it goes to the program so they can confirm you, and nowhere else.
About this record
Every figure on this page comes from the Texas HHSC Child Care Regulation open data published at data.texas.gov, reproduced as the state recorded it. We do not grade, score or rank programs. A citation is a finding by a state inspector on a given day; it is not a judgment about a program today, and the correction status beside each one is part of the record. This page reflects data retrieved on November 8, 2026. Full methodology.
Operate this program? Write to corrections@childcaretx.com and we will publish your response beside any record here.