St. Vrain outlines birth‑to‑3 pilot and volunteer plan for an early‑childhood service district

St. Vrain Valley School District staff presented a two‑site birth‑to‑3 child‑care pilot for district employees and heard a volunteer coalition outline a separate proposal to create an early‑childhood special service district that could seek voter approval in November 2026. The board did not take a formal tax or ballot endorsement during the study session.

The pilot proposal, presented by Laura Harris, assistant superintendent for preschool and community schools, would run two classrooms under the district’s Community Schools child‑care enterprise: an infant room (birth to 18 months) at Spark Discovery Preschool and a toddler room (18 to 36 months) at Mountain View Elementary, both operating roughly 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Spark infant room would start with a 10‑child capacity for the pilot, Harris said, and the program would follow the district calendar to align with staff schedules. Harris said the district will send an employee interest survey in September and expects a program start in August 2026 if the pilot proceeds.

"As a district, we recognize the growing need for additional child care options within the boundaries of St. Vrain Valley School District," Harris said, describing the pilot as "a direct investment in our educators and staff." She said licensing walk‑throughs have already occurred and that minor construction (for example, half walls for diapering areas) and equipment purchases will be required to meet birth‑to‑3 licensing standards.

A volunteer coalition calling itself the Early…