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Universal preschool enrollments steady but committee questions reserve and supplemental requests
Summary
Department officials told the Joint Budget Committee the Colorado Universal Preschool program served about 43,398 four‑year‑olds (roughly 68% of eligible) in 2024‑25 and that the department is requesting $10M in cash‑fund supplemental authority for FY25‑26 and additional general fund in out years to maintain a projected participation rate while protecting a reserve.
Department officials updated lawmakers on the Colorado Universal Preschool (UPK) program and its budget needs during a Joint Budget Committee hearing.
Donna Dean, director of the Colorado Universal Preschool Program, told the committee the UPK program served about 43,398 four‑year‑olds in 2024‑25 — roughly 68% of the state's eligible four‑year‑old population — and that participation has remained at a similar level for the second consecutive year. “The program served a total of 43,398 4‑year‑olds in '24‑25, or about 68% of the state's estimated eligible 4‑year‑old population,” Dean said.
The department asked for a $10 million cash‑fund supplemental for FY25‑26 to ensure full‑day awards continue to be funded as enrollment increased mid‑year. Jeanne Stefanik, CDEC's CFO, said the requested $10M supplement would be drawn from existing cash fund balances that the department considers above the 15% reserve target for FY25‑26, and that with the supplemental the ending fund balance would remain healthy ($42.2M in the department's projection for FY25‑26).
Committee members asked for more detail. Representative Taggart pressed the department to explain why the department was asking to reduce the reserve target from 15% to 10% in an out year while also requesting $10M this year to cover enrollment increases. Treasurer and JBC staff discussed that the cash fund had been underspent in the first two program years and that higher‑than‑expected revenues and lower spending created a larger balance than initially forecast.
The department also described program design and family choices: about 24,135 four‑year‑olds received 15‑hour awards and 9,789 received the full‑day award in 2024‑25, while approximately 9,474 were in 10‑hour options. Donna Dean noted mixed delivery (district, community, home settings) and that stacking UPK awards with CCAP for dually enrolled children produced estimated CCAP savings of between $1M and $6M depending on phases implemented.
Lawmakers asked for a comparative table showing historical per‑child costs and enrollment counts (full‑day vs. partial) across the old Colorado Preschool Program and current UPK layers; the department agreed to provide a breakdown showing children served by hour band and historical funding comparisons.
What happens next: The committee requested more granular enrollment‑by‑hours data, the calculation of the FY26‑27 general fund request, and a clearer reconciliation of cash‑fund projections and reserve targets for the coming years. Any supplemental appropriation will be considered along with other midyear decisions.
