With the school year a couple of months out, providers are gearing to implement the first year of universal preschool. Championed by Gov. Jared Polis, this initiative redirects voter-approved nicotine tax money to a program.
When Colorado launches free preschool for 4-year-olds in 2023, it will join a half dozen other states that already offer universal preschool. All of them have encountered the same tricky task Colorado leaders now face as they try to knit together a disparate patchwork of public and private preschools into an equitable and high-quality statewide system.