A tutoring center on McBeth Way that started with two parents and two struggling kids now serves about 440 students, and its owners are approaching a milestone they once couldn't have imagined.

Kumon Math and Reading Center of The Woodlands West will mark 15 years in business on Oct. 17, Community Impact Newspaper reported Wednesday, Aug. 12. Owners Luis Contreras and Birgit Hess opened the franchise at 8000 McBeth Way on Oct. 17, 2011, after leaving careers in the hospitality industry.

Their pivot started at home. The couple's daughter was falling behind in reading; their son needed help building math skills. After enrolling them in a Kumon program in Florida and seeing results, Contreras and Hess moved to The Woodlands to open their own center, according to a Houston Chronicle report from the center's 2011 opening.

"We believe in the program because we saw the difference it made in our kids and we believe it can make a difference in other children's lives," Hess told the Chronicle at the time.

Growth through the pandemic

The center's enrollment surged after COVID-19 hit, as families sought extra academic support for children adjusting to remote and hybrid learning. Hess said the pandemic drove much of the growth the center has sustained.

At the center's 10th anniversary in 2021, Contreras told Community Impact that Kumon was "one of the few businesses that was impacted in a good way" by the pandemic. That year, the owners expanded the facility to roughly double its capacity. The center now holds about 600 students and has approximately 440 enrolled.

How it works

Students age 3 and older attend twice a week and complete daily homework the other five days, covering math and reading. The center also offers Kumon Connect, a digital option that lets students finish assignments on a tablet.

The results go beyond academics. "When a student has a strong foundation in math and reading, everything else becomes easier," Hess said. "Learning is less stressful, homework takes less time, and confidence grows ... that confidence is what helps students become independent learners for life."

Contreras has credited Hess, who serves as the center's certified instructor and director, with driving the operation's success.

The center is at 8000 McBeth Way, Ste. 155. Families can reach it at (832) 432-0090 or kumon.com/the-woodlands-west. The 15th anniversary falls on Saturday, Oct. 17.