We occasionally check in with our colleagues at Chalkbeat about the education stories they’re following. This time, Chalkbeat Colorado Bureau Chief Erica Meltzer joined us to discuss the latest in the state’s universal preschool rollout and Colorado schools’ struggles to keep the AC running.
Meltzer told KUNC that about 40,000 families are participating in the state Pre-K program this year, getting at least 15 free hours of preschool a week.
“The bad (part) is that thousands of these parents thought they were going to be getting 30 hours a week of preschool. And in late July, the state said, ‘We're sorry - we don't actually have enough money for that. Even though you have these qualifying factors, you're only going to get a half time,’" Meltzer said. "And so that put a lot of families in a tough position.”
Parents who need additional hours of Pre-K have some options. There is aid available to help pay for additional hours, such as the Military Child Care In Your Neighborhood initiative and the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program.
Meltzer said some child care providers are also having problems with the state's Pre-K matching system.
“They sometimes have students showing up that thought they were enrolled in the state system, that the school or the provider doesn't have in their system,” she said. “And a number of school districts and the state Consortium of Special Education Directors have actually sued the state over the way this program has rolled out. They have significant concerns, that especially students with disabilities are not getting the services they need (and) that the school districts are not getting the information that they need to provide these students with services that they are legally entitled to.”
Chalkbeat fact checked some of Gov. Jared Polis’ responses to the backlash over the universal Pre-K rollout. You can find that article here.
In another story, some schools in Colorado are having issues getting reliable air conditioning amid recent extremely hot weather. It’s causing schools to call “heat days,” canceling classes and sending students home as safety measures. In Denver, 11 public schools had air conditioning installed over the summer, but 43 campuses remain without adequate cooling.
“We've always had hot days, of course, including in August and September when school is in session. But with climate change, we are seeing more hot days in those months, and more consecutive hot days,” Meltzer told KUNC. “Potentially, (schools) face a pretty big price tag to put air conditioning in more of our buildings if we want students in school consistently.”
