Enrollment has officially commenced this week for Colorado’s taxpayer-funded preschool program for the upcoming 2025-2026 school year, marking the third year that students will be part of this initiative. The program forms a crucial component of a recent push towards offering universal preschool access throughout the state. Spearheaded by Democrats in Colorado, the concept of universal preschool has gained significant momentum, with Governor Jared Polis serving as a staunch advocate for its implementation.
Under the current framework, the program provides up to 15 hours of preschool education for all children in the year preceding kindergarten, with the option for additional hours for families meeting certain qualifying criteria. Governor Polis, in a statement released on a Tuesday, lauded the program’s progress, deeming it a resounding success. He expressed, “Colorado’s Universal Preschool Program is truly raising the bar for early childhood education – for children, parents, and our economy.” Polis further highlighted the program’s multifaceted benefits by emphasizing how it not only alleviates financial burdens for Colorado families but also plays a pivotal role in bolstering the state’s economy while nurturing the potential of its youngest learners for sustained growth and prosperity.
Despite the state’s aspiration to witness an uptick in enrollment to encompass 72.7% of all eligible four-year-olds during the 2024-2025 academic year, the actual number of students enrolled saw a decline relative to its inaugural year. Presently, the program caters to 41,640 four-year-olds, representing approximately 65% of the total cohort of eligible children. In the preceding academic year of 2023-2024, the enrollment figure stood at 43,479 students, underscoring the challenges faced in achieving the desired enrollment targets.
Dr. Lisa Roy, the executive director of Colorado’s Department of Early Childhood, echoed sentiments of optimism regarding the transformative impact of the Universal Preschool Program. She articulated, “Colorado’s Universal Preschool Program shows what’s possible when we prioritize young learners. High-quality preschool opportunities strengthen families and drive our communities forward,” underscoring the broader societal benefits and positive outcomes associated with early childhood education initiatives.
However, the initiative is not without its financial implications, with a substantial price tag of $322 million attached to the program. Commencing from the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the General Assembly was mandated to allocate funds to the Department of Early Childhood to sustain Colorado’s universal preschool program. Legislative provisions stipulate that the allocated budget should incrementally increase on an annual basis to account for inflation, as per the legislation approved in April 2023.
Although the financial underpinning of the program was partly facilitated through the approval of Proposition EE in 2020, entailing tax increases on cigarettes and nicotine to fund the initiative, the fiscal year of 2023-2024 saw only $163 million sourced from these tax hikes. An additional $30 million was drawn from the general fund, with a further $139 million transferred from.
