Some districts to lose money
New law forbids state’s public schools from charging tuition
One of the Denver area’s richest school districts and one of its poorest will both take a financial hit as Colorado implements fullday kindergarten funding — but both say they can manage it.
This year, the General Assembly passed a bill funding kindergarten students at the full perpupil rate used for older children. Previously, the state paid only 58 percent of the normal rate, and most districts used some combination of three options: offering only half-day kindergarten, charging parents tuition if they wanted to send their children for the full day, or using other funds to make up the difference.
The new law won’t require Colorado’s public schools to offer full-day kindergarten, but it does forbid them from charging tuition. Parents also aren’t obligated to send their children to a full-day
program, though some districts are doing away with half-day classes.
In the Douglas County School District, the state per-pupil rate will provide about $3.9 million, which is $600,000 less than the district’s neighborhood schools collected in tuition, spokeswoman Paula Hans said. Previously, families paid a maximum of $350 per month if they wanted to send their children to full-day programs in most schools, though charter schools could set different tuition scales.
District financial staff members found enough unused funds to make up the difference this coming school year, but it’s not clear what they will do next year.
Across the metro area, Adams County School District 14 faces a different challenge. It has offered free full-day kindergarten for years, but it previously used funding from the Early Childhood At-Risk Enhancement (E-CARE) program, which pays more per child than the per-pupil rate does. About 85 percent of kids in Adams 14 qualify for free or reducedprice lunches, and most others have another risk factor, such as speaking a language other than English at home, that qualifies them for E-CARE, said Brian Childress, director of human relations at Adams 14. He estimated the district will lose about $300,000.
“We’ll be fine, but it is a little less for us,” he said.
The advantage of the change, however, is that Adams 14 can apply to use that E-CARE money for preschool slots, meaning more families can receive free classes to prepare for kindergarten, Childress said. Overall, people in the district are “excited” and “optimistic” about the new kindergarten framework, he said.
Most Denver-area districts report the state funds will replace money they previously spent on kindergarten, allowing them to put additional dollars toward preschool programs, increasing teacher salaries and other priorities. Jeffco Public Schools appears likely to benefit the most, taking in an extra $9.2 million in state funds, even after factoring out the loss of tuition payments.
All schools in the area also will be eligible for a share of $25 million in one-time grants to make the transition to full-day kindergarten easier. The money will be divided up according to a formula that takes into account enrollment and the percentage of students with more challenging needs, such as kids who have disabilities or come from low-income families, said Jeremy Meyer, spokesman for the Colorado Department of Education.
Below is a rundown of the Denverarea school districts and the possible impact of the new kindergarten paradigm. The possible increase in fullday students and the share of the onetime grants are based on estimates from the state education department.
Adams 12 Five Star Schools Possible increase in full-day students: 731.
Possible share of one-time grants: $880,000 to $1 million.
Half-day option: No. Spokesman Joe Ferdani said the district surveyed parents and found little demand for a half-day program.
Financial impact: About 72 percent of the district’s kindergarten students already attended a full-day program. Some paid tuition, though the full-day programs were free in high-poverty schools.
Ferdani said he expects the state per-pupil rate to cover the additional costs for the minority of students who would have been in a half-day program, and that the new law will free up about $4 million the district was using to subsidize full-day kindergarten. That money will go toward salaries and other “investments,” he said.
The district will add the equivalent of 15.5 classroom teachers and offer more hours to paraprofessionals and teachers providing “specials,” such as music and art, Ferdani said.
“We’ve already during the spring started that hiring process,” he said.
Adams School District 14 Possible increase in full-day students: None predicted.
Possible share of one-time grants: $233,000 to $284,000.
Half-day option: Parents can choose to pick up their children after a half day, but it’s not common, spokesman John Poynton said.
Financial impact: The district will lose $300,000 because of a lower reimbursement rate, but Childress expects that to “even out” as the higherreimbursement slots shift from kindergarten to preschool. Aurora Public Schools Possible increase in full-day students: 96.
Possible share of one-time grants: $1.6 million to $1.8 million. Half-day option: No.
Financial impact: The vast majority of kindergarten students in Aurora already attended full-day programs for free. Corey Christiansen, spokesman for Aurora Public Schools, said the district will be able to put the money it is saving on kindergarten into preschool, creating an additional 248 slots for younger kids. Boulder Valley School District Possible increase in full-day students: 1,223.
Possible share of one-time grants: $259,000 to $618,000.
Half-day option: Yes. According to the district website, all elementary schools will offer full-day kindergarten, and parents who want a half-day program can send their children for only part of the day. Financial impact: The district didn’t respond to questions. Cherry Creek School District Possible increase in full-day students: 3,105.
Possible share of one-time grants: $274,000 to $1.3 million.
Half-day option: No.
Financial impact: The district is still figuring out the full impact, but spokeswoman Abbe Smith said it will face some additional costs, including hiring new teachers and making space for more classrooms. Denver Public Schools Possible increase in full-day students: None predicted.
Possible share of one-time grants: $3.4 million to $4.2 million.
Half-day option: Yes. Parents who want a half-day program can pick up their children early, but spokeswoman Anna Alejo said she doesn’t expect many will choose to do that.
Financial impact: The district previously charged tuition on a sliding scale, with a maximum monthly fee of $319 for wealthier Denver families. DPS was providing a free full-day program to about 1,700 children, and will be able to divert that money to pay for additional preschool slots, Alejo said. Douglas County School District Possible increase in full-day students: 1,646.
Possible share of one-time grants: $1.1 million to $1.3 million.
Half-day option: Yes, but not necessarily at all schools, Hans said. About 1,667 students, or one-third of all the district’s kindergartners, were signed up for half-day programs as of May, but some may have switched before the June 1 deadline.
Financial impact: The Douglas County School District expects to receive about $600,000 less from the state than it did from tuition, which brought in about $4.5 million. Englewood Schools Possible increase in full-day students: None predicted.
Possible share of one-time grants: $86,000 to $105,000.
Half-day option: No.
Financial impact: Spokeswoman Julie McMorris said the district expects to receive about $300,000 in new funding from the state, freeing up about the same amount for other programs. Englewood had previously used its general funds to cover fullday kindergarten, and the new money will go toward “backfilling the deficit” created to fund kindergarten, she said. Jeffco Public Schools Possible increase in full-day students: 791.
Possible share of one-time grants: $2 million to $2.1 million.
Half-day option: Yes. Spokeswoman Diana Wilson said all elementary schools in the district will have a halfday and full-day option.
Financial impact: Previously, fullday programs were free for students who qualified for free or reducedprice lunches, though some schools chose not to charge tuition at all. Jeffco collected about $6 million in tuition, but will receive about $15.2 million in state funding under the new system, Wilson said. She said the extra money will be divided among the elementary schools, which may have to hire additional teachers for enrichment subjects such as music.
“We’re excited that there are families out there that are essentially saving $6 million,” she said. Littleton Public Schools Possible increase in full-day students: 675.
Possible share of one-time grants: $107,000 to $289,000. Half-day option: Unclear. Financial impact: The district didn’t respond to questions. Mapleton Public Schools Possible increase in full-day students: None predicted.
Possible share of one-time grants: $242,000 to $296,000.
Half-day option: No.
Financial impact: Spokeswoman Melissa Johnson said the new law will allow the district to redirect about $1.1 million it was spending to offer free full-day kindergarten toward staff compensation, upgraded technology and preschool slots. Sheridan School District Possible increase in full-day students: None predicted.
Possible share of one-time grants: $49,000 to $60,000.
Half-day option: No.
Financial impact: The district still is working out the numbers, spokesman Mark Stevens said.
Westminster Public Schools Possible increase in full-day students: None predicted.
Possible share of one-time grants: $352,000 to $429,000. Half-day option: No.
Financial impact: Spokesman Steve Saunders said the state money will free up about $1.3 million in general funds the district was using for kindergarten. The district still is working out all the details, but that money could support about 45 additional pre-kindergarten spots, he said.
“Now that we’re getting back some of that money, we hope we can expand preschool,” he said.