Four-year-olds at Columbine Elementary had just finished dancing and singing about peanut butter and jelly on Monday before men in ties interrupted.
A news conference with some of Denver’s top leaders took place in Michael Conlon’s preschool classroom to announce an expansion of Denver Public Schools’ preschool and kindergarten programs. The district wants to increase the number of preschool slots by as much as 40 percent and full-day kindergarten slots by up to 30 percent.
“The fate of empires depends upon the education of youth,” Mayor John Hickenlooper told the class, quoting Aristotle. “That’s why we’re all here for you guys, so that we won’t get left in the dust.”
The district wants to tap into $10 million a year already being generated by a voter-approved sales tax for preschool.
The tax money is a subsidy for Denver families with preschool-aged children, regardless of income level — helping pay for quality private or public programs.
The standard cost of preschool in DPS is $195 a month for half-day programs. However, only 17 percent pay for classes because poor students receive state and federal financial help.
“There is an incredible unmet need in Denver for the education of 4-year-olds and kindergartners,” said DPS Superintendent Michael Bennet.
“The data (are) absolutely clear,” he said. “If we don’t get kids started off right, if they are not ready to learn by the time they come to the first grade, sometimes they never catch up.”
DPS plans to spend $1.6 million to improve facilities and increase capacity — adding up to 1,800 more half-day preschool slots next school year, making full-day classes a possibility. Those slots could mean preschool classes for up to four times as many students.
The district also wants to provide full-day kindergarten for up to 1,400 more students next year, using mill-levy taxes and state funds, officials say.
“Our ambition is to make sure every 5-year-old in Denver has access to full-day kindergarten and every 4-year-old that wants it has access to full-day (preschool),” Bennet said.
The registration process for next year’s preschool and kindergarten classes is underway.
Classrooms and programs must get a rating before they can be considered an approved provider under the Denver Preschool Program.
Only 112 classrooms have been rated so far, said James Mejia, chief executive officer of the Denver Preschool Program. He said he has been in talks with the governor’s office about expanding preschool programs throughout the state.
“Hopefully what we learn between Denver Public Schools and the Denver Preschool Program will be translated in communities throughout the state,” he said.
Jeremy P. Meyer: 303-954-1367 or jpmeyer@denverpost.com
