DENVER — Four-year-old Grant Greening attended Thunder Vista for half-day preschool last year.
This year, he was going to go for a full day for free because of Colorado's universal preschool funding.
“This was amazing for us as a family, a fairly low-income family. I’m a stay-at-home dad, my wife is a probation officer,” said Grant’s dad Alan Greening. “When we went through the application process, we found out that we would qualify for free full-day tuition.”
The qualifying factors to receive more than half-day preschool, as listed on the state’s universal preschool website on June 28, included five factors:
- Household income below 270% of the 2023 federal poverty guideline
- Individualized Education Program (IEP)
- Homelessness
- Dual language learner
- Foster/Kinship care
Greening qualified under the first factor: a lower-income.
“Our decision was sent to us that we had been accepted for the placement that we had applied for, which was the free full-day,” Greening said. “We assumed that the placement and the funding went together, and not unreasonably, I think, otherwise they wouldn’t have given us the placement.”
His son was selected for the same school he attended half-day preschool last year.
“A week or so ago, we get an email from [universal preschool] telling us there is no funding for free full-day,” Greening said.
That email said: “Due to limited funding, not everyone who wants free full-day preschool can get it.”
“We drove past the school today and every time we go pass it, he says ‘That’s my school.’ And I, sort of, broke it to him gently that his teachers might be different this year, we might have to go to another school. To which he replied, ‘I don’t want to go to another school,’” Greening said.
According to a spokesman for Gov. Jared Polis (D), 36,000 families signed up for universal preschool, and half of them have at least one qualifying factor.
The state’s universal preschool website today lists new criteria for qualifying factors. The website states that priority is for families that are low income “AND” have one other qualifying factor.
“Why were the goalposts moved from where they were when we made the application?” Greening said.
The governor’s spokesman said that the state statute for universal preschool allowed for the change.
It is on page 175 of the 438-page legislation: “Subject to available appropriations…”
“We are now so far along in the process that we have no idea whether any schools have any room left in the half-day programs. Certainly, none in the vicinity of our house," Greening said.
In an email with the school, Greening’s family was told that the full-day spot can still be held for his son, but the tuition would be $536 a month.
“We’re not quite giving up yet. Our child will be in school somewhere, he was particularly looking forward to going back to the same school,” Greening said.
The funding is handled by the state. The capacity for space is by school district. A spokesman for Adams 12 said it might be possible for Greening’s son to get a half-day spot in the same school.
“There must be lots of other families like us, and we are not the worst. We will make do,” Greening said. “There must be families who are much, much more in need of this, and who must be so incredibly disappointed.”
Universal preschool funding was approved by voters in 2020 when Proposition EE passed. Proposition EE increased the tax on cigarettes and tobacco and created a new tax for nicotine and vaping products.
The blue book for that ballot issue estimated the state would raise $186.5 million in the first year. The actual money raised that first year was $208 million. That state must refund the difference.
That is why Proposition II (that is eye-eye, not 11) will be on the November ballot. The state legislature referred a measure to the ballot asking voters to let the state keep the tax revenue above and beyond the estimated amount.
If you're having similar issues with your universal preschool enrollment, email 9NEWS reporter Marshall Zelinger at marshall.zelinger@9news.com.
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