Preschool FAQs

The Colorado Universal Preschool Program provides funding for children who are 4 years old with up to 15 hours of preschool per week through the Universal Preschool (UPK) program at no cost to the family. Four year olds who qualify may receive an additional 15 hours.

The Colorado Universal Preschool Program will also provide funding for 3 year old children with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Families must complete a UPK application. We will assist you with looking for an available seat a a school in your area and completing the UPK application.

​​If your child will attend through the Colorado Universal Preschool Program or the Preschool Tuition program, your child must be school age (three or four years old) on or before October 1st of the school year they wish to attend. If your child will attend through the Special Education Program, your child can begin preschool on or after his 3rd birthday, even if that falls after October 1st..

You can state your preference, and we will do our utmost to accommodate it, however, final location will be determined by an enrollment team that is tasked with balancing classrooms according to age, gender, language and needs. Families will be notified in early August the name of the child’s teacher.

Families can apply for the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program to help pay for those hours not covered by the Colorado Universal Preschool Program. 

Many of the children enrolled in our preschool classrooms are very independent in their bathroom needs. However, you do not need to be toilet trained to attend a BVSD preschool. Children are encouraged to use the bathrooms throughout the day as needed and during scheduled bathroom breaks. Teachers monitor healthy bathroom habits such as flushing and hand washing. Many children are in various stages of toilet training including diaper use. Diaper changing takes place in a manner that meets health and safety guidelines. When toilet accidents that require a change of clothing happen, children are assisted to change into dry clothing. Soiled clothing is placed in a plastic bag to take home. If your child comes home in borrowed clothing, we ask that you wash and return the clothes as soon as possible. Families are asked to supply diapers and wipes. Please discuss a system for supplying a change of clothing, diapers and wipes with your child’s teacher if needed. If a child is not toilet trained, the preschool staff will do the following to support toilet training transitions from home to school:

1. Develop a schedule with the parent/guardian.
2. Give multiple opportunities during a preschool session to use the bathroom and develop toileting routines.
3. Do not wait for children to tell you they need to use the bathroom. Give reminders to go on a “toilet trip”.
4. Develop a visual schedule for children learning to use the bathroom independently.

Toilet Training Info Sheet (English)
Toilet Training Info Sheet (Spanish)

If your child has an Individualized Education Program (IEP), they may be eligible to receive special transportation. Eligibility for special transportation is determined by the IEP team at an IEP meeting.

No cost, it is free.

Yes. Due to Colorado Universal Preschool Program (UPK) rules, all 4 year olds must re-apply through the UPK portal for their second year of preschool. However, children who are rolling up to the same preschool can pre-register in the UPK portal before it opens to the general public.

No. Parent/Guardians of preschool children need to enroll in the school of residency or apply for open enrollment status at a school of choice. For more information go to www.bvsd.org for kindergarten enrollment dates, options, and application process.

BVSD Preschool Learning and Enrichment offers full day options at 15 of our 24 sites.  Please see our 2024-25 Locations and Hours for details.

No. Children from out of district can choose BVSD preschools and, if enrolled, are invited to remain in BVSD until they graduate from high school.

Not necessarily. Learning a second language is not a disability. However, if your child is experiencing developmental delays that are independent of language acquisition, the child may qualify for Special Education services. Please contact Child Find at 720-561-5078.

No. Child Find is intended to locate and identify children with educational disabilities and not to screen for kindergarten readiness.

In BVSD, kindergarten is play-based and developmentally appropriate. Our kindergartens are ready for your child.

No. The district is required to offer free, appropriate, public education (FAPE) to children with special needs and parents cannot choose which part of FAPE they would like to accept.

It’s free, because of the district’s obligation to offer free, appropriate, public education (FAPE) to children with special needs.

A major emphasis of the preschool curriculum is social and emotional and literacy development, designed to prepare young children for the social and learning environment of kindergarten. If your child needs help with social skills and you cannot afford tuition, you may qualify for the Colorado Preschool Program.​

Please contact your school's Community Liaison to explore options.

Yes, the Early Childhood Education, Literacy, and Language departments have collaborated to align practices between preschool and kindergarten in the district. We use the Creative Curriculum and Fountas and Pinnell phonics instruction materials. All PK classrooms use the same letter name cards, sound introduction, and letter/sound movements as kindergarten classrooms to ensure students academic language and introduction to letters and letter sounds are the same district-wide. This will help preschool students transitioning to kindergarten. In preschool children need a wide variety of direct hands on experiences to help them learn how letter names and sounds connect to written word.

Your child’s health history will be reviewed by the ECE nurse or a school nurse and a health care plan will be developed if needed.

BVSD Food Services serves fresh and nutritious food using locally sourced and organic ingredients in their scratch-cook meals every day. Your preschool student will  enjoy breakfast, a delicious lunch and an afternoon snack at no cost.

On Mondays, Tuesday, Thursdays and Fridays, students enrolled in Preschool  (Learning or Enrichment) programming will begin at the two-hour delay start time with the rest of the school. 

On Wednesdays, Preschool Enrichment will begin at its normal time.

No refunds or credits will be given for school closings, days off, sick days, snow days, COVID or other health quarantines, or family vacation days. Regular tuition and fees will be charged for all absences.

This policy is in place because the cost for staff and programming remains the same when children are absent.

Preschool Learning is funded through Universal Preschool while Preschool Enrichment is a tuition based program. We are committed to creating a preschool environment that provides the best possible learning and enrichment and promotes whole-child development. 

Special education services in general, and IEP minutes specifically, are provided in the Preschool Learning classroom.

If needed, ADA accommodations, 504s and health care plans are provided on the additional Enrichment classroom days.

If there are questions related to IEP service delivery, please talk to your child's IEP team.