DENVER — Universal preschool (UPK) in Colorado covers the cost of half-day pre-K.
As of Friday, 9,150 families who thought they were getting full-day pre-K paid for by the state recently found out they are on the hook for the cost of the second half of the day.
Caught in the middle are the preschool providers whose classrooms may not be as full as last year.
“This room will probably be empty for months, if not the full year,” Melissa Lelm, director of Early Childhood University in Greeley.
Lelm, who has five classrooms in her building, will be using just one starting next Monday.
“We had seven staff members last year, and now we have three, which is myself, one teacher and one teacher assistant,” Lelm said.
Her school can accommodate 192 total preschool students.
“Total? We can do 96 morning, 96 afternoon, and we have 31 kids,” Lelm said.
Instead of 192 total students, her Greeley preschool now has 31.
“I think parents are hesitant and nervous and don't know how to enroll,” Lelm said.
The difference between last year and this year? Universal preschools run through the state.
“Under [Colorado Preschool Program], we'd had a contract with the district to provide preschool for three and four-year-olds and special ed. And so, parents would enroll through the school district and then we would get those spots from the district,” Lelm said. “We were always full with 96 [a.m. and p.m.] with the contract.”
The Colorado Department of Early Education has a video explaining how the state places preschoolers with a preschool slot. Parents do not get to pick a school of their choice, but they get to pick their top five preferences.
“You could get 50 matches tomorrow and not have the staff, and so you have to put off enrolling those students,” Lelm said.
According to a spokesman for Gov. Jared Polis (D), as of Monday, 43,288 students have applied for preschool, with 39,311 students matched to a preschool.
“We're unsure how many children will come. Or what if students who were matched long ago, a couple months ago, who never accepted their placement, will they show up to school on Monday?” Lelm said.
She said if students show up unexpectedly, she cannot automatically enroll them.
“No. Because we won't get paid for that slot,” Lelm said. “I received my first payment last month for UPK, and that's only students who are enrolled by July 9. So, that check will cover rent and some bills and probably the teacher assistant salary and that's it.”
Lelm said that she is paying her one teacher with funds from the school’s reserve.
“It'll be a long year, unless we get more kids and can hire staff,” Lelm said. “It will close down a lot of businesses who have been in this in this county for a very long time, providing quality preschool and services for families. And it will put a lot of people out of work.”
For a school that has been full in the past, planning into the future is a bit murky under UPK.
“The landlord wanted me to sign a five-year lease, and we agreed only to a one [year] because I'm not certain what the future will bring,” Lelm said.
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