Colorado opens enrollment for third year of universal preschool program

(The Center Square) – Enrollment opened this week for Colorado’s taxpayer-funded preschool program for the 2025-2026 school year.

The program is part of a recent initiative to provide universal preschool in the state. This will be the third year that students are enrolled in the program.

Universal preschool was pushed by Democrats in the state, with Gov. Jared Polis also strongly advocating for it. It currently offers up to 15 hours of preschool for all children in the year before kindergarten, with additional hours available for qualifying families.

In a Tuesday statement , Polis declared the program a success.

“Colorado’s Universal Preschool Program is truly raising the bar for early childhood education – for children, parents, and our economy,” Polis said. “Colorado’s Universal Preschool Program not only saves Colorado families money, it drives our state’s economy and earliest learners forward to thrive for years to come.”

While the state was hoping for increased enrollment in the 2024-2025 school year to 72.7% of all eligible four-year-olds, the number of students enrolled actually dropped from its first year.

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