2016 Colorado Revised Statutes
Title 22 - Education
Compensatory Education
Article 28 - Colorado Preschool Program Act
§ 22-28-107.1. District and institute charter school preschool programs - plans

(1) Each school district that has not submitted a plan to the department by the effective date of this section to implement a district preschool program shall do so within six months after that date. An institute charter school that chooses to offer a preschool program pursuant to this section shall submit a plan to implement the preschool program to the department at least six months before the preschool program begins operation. A school district's or institute charter school's plan must include, but need not be limited to, the following information requested by the department:

(a) The number of eligible children that the preschool program is expected to serve;

(b) Whether the preschool program will be a four-and-one-half-month, nine-month, or twelve-month program;

(c) Whether the school district or institute charter school itself will provide the preschool program or whether a head start agency or one or more child care agencies under contract with the school district or institute charter school will provide the preschool program in whole or in part;

(d) If the school district or institute charter school will provide the preschool program:

(I) The number of schools in the school district that will be involved if it is a district preschool program;

(II) The number of additional personnel needed to staff the preschool program; and

(III) The training program for preschool teachers;

(e) If a head start agency or child care agencies under contract with the school district or the institute charter school will provide the preschool program, in whole or in part:

(I) The head start agency or child care agencies with which the school district or institute charter school will contract;

(II) The terms of the contracts; and

(III) The procedure the school district or institute charter school will use to monitor the preschool program that the head start agency or child care agencies are providing;

(f) The extended day services, if any, to be provided in connection with the preschool program;

(g) The plan for coordinating the preschool program with family support services for children participating in the program and their families;

(h) The plan for involving the parent or parents of each child enrolled in the preschool program in participation in the program;

(i) The plan for coordinating the preschool program with a parenting program;

(j) The plan for involving parents and the community in the preschool program; and

(k) The procedure the school district or institute charter school will follow to evaluate the current and continuing effectiveness of the preschool program.

(2) A school district or institute charter school that participates in the Colorado preschool program by offering a nine-month program may, in the first year of operation, apply for permission from the department to receive funding for a nine-month program but to use up to half of the moneys allocated for the program to prepare, during the first half of the school year, to offer a preschool program and to use the remainder of the moneys to offer, during the second half of the school year, a four-and-one-half-month preschool program.

(3) (a) Upon the request of a school district or an institute charter school, the department shall provide, subject to available resources, such technical assistance as may be necessary for the school district or institute charter school to submit its plan for implementing the preschool program and for ongoing training of personnel for the successful implementation of the program.

(b) The department shall annually conduct on-site visits at a reasonable number of school districts and institute charter schools to determine whether:

(I) Each school district's and institute charter school's screening process and the eligibility criteria for children participating in the preschool program comply with all applicable state laws;

(II) The district advisory council established pursuant to section 22-28-105 for a district preschool program complies with all applicable state laws; and

(III) The school district's or institute charter school's quality assurance activities, evaluation efforts, and financial activities regarding the preschool program comply with all applicable state laws.

(4) (a) This section takes effect upon the proclamation by the governor of the vote cast in a statewide election held no later than November 2017 at which a majority of those voting approve a citizen-initiated increase in state tax revenues for the purpose of funding preschool through twelfth grade public education, so long as the amount of the approved revenue increase is equal to or greater than the total estimated state fiscal impact associated with the payment of the state share of total program pursuant to section 22-54.5-203, investment moneys pursuant to section 22-54.5-301, hold-harmless moneys pursuant to section 22-54.5-302, and per pupil supplemental payments pursuant to section 22-54.5-303, in the second budget year commencing after the increase is approved, as stated in the final fiscal note prepared for Senate Bill 13-213, enacted in 2013.

(b) The provisions of this section apply in the second budget year commencing after the statewide election at which the voters approve the increase in state tax revenues for the purpose of funding public education and in budget years thereafter.