Colorado’s governor, Jared Polis, made free, full-day kindergarten for all a top priority when he was elected in 2018. It was funded by the end of his first legislative session.
Starting in the 2019-2020 school year, Colorado school districts had the funding should they choose to provide full-day kindergarten. The Boulder Valley and St. Vrain school districts did so, along with just about every other school district in the state.
St. Vrain Valley schools have been stretching their budget to fund full-day kindergarten, on a sliding scale, at each of their elementary schools for more than a decade. The state support provides the district with approximately $1.7 million in funding the district would not otherwise see. St. Vrain is using the funding to hire more paraprofessionals, keep class sizes small and increase preschool slots, in addition to making kindergarten free for all families, said Superintendent Don Haddad.
Boulder Valley parents and students saw the most visible changes in the county, since full-day kindergarten previously was available only at the district’s eight Title 1 schools. Now the full-day program is found at all 35 elementaries.
“It’s good for every kid — not just kids in the gap,” said Robbyn Fernandez, BVSD Assistant Superintendent of School Leadership. “But it’s a social justice thing for kids in the gap, because there are kids at every school who are below grade level.”
The move brings Colorado in line with 30 other states that offer full-day kindergarten. Educators believe the extra time in the classroom will help students, especially those who currently enter first grade already behind. The free tuition will save parents who had paid up to $400 a month for schools to care for their kids beyond the half-day.
The extra kindergarten support will have a positive cascading effect on state and district budgets, making more funding available for preschool. Next on Gov. Polis’ agenda is helping to ensure universal, high-quality preschool across the state.
“All roads to quality early childhood education start with full-day kindergarten,” Polis said.
