Preschool, also called Early Childhood Education or ECE, helps young children develop mentally, socially and emotionally. The DPS Early Education program provides quality half- and full-day preschool at more than 80 DPS schools. DPS preschool programs are designed to serve all students, including students with disabilities.
Every school district in Colorado, including DPS, is working with the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) to continue expanding its Early Childhood Education with an enrollment process for Universal Preschool Colorado, also known as (UPK).
UPK ensures that every child, in the year before they are eligible for kindergarten, is eligible for half-day, state-funded, voluntary preschool.
ECE students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) are eligible for a minimum of half-day preschool funding. If your child has an IEP, you can complete the UPK application at any time following your SchoolChoice application. Contact Child Find with any questions.
Completion of the SchoolChoice enrollment process is separate from applying for UPK funding.
All ECE-3 and ECE-4 families will need to participate in DPS SchoolChoice to be matched with their preferred school for the 2024-25 school year. Students who turn 3 years old on or before Oct. 1 will need to apply for ECE-3. Students who turn 4 years old on or before Oct. 1 will need to apply for ECE-4. Due to limited space, enrollment is not guaranteed.
The DPS SchoolChoice Round 2 window is open through April 25, 2025.
After completing your Round 2 application, submit your UPK application if you are applying for ECE-4 or your student has an IEP.
Please Note: If your child has an Individualized Education Program (IEP), make sure to answer “Yes” to the IEP question in the UPK application. Contact Child Find with any questions.
If your child is enrolling in ECE-4 or has an IEP, you need to complete the UPK application to receive funding through the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC).
If you completed a UPK application for ECE-3 last year, be sure to use the same email address for your ECE-4 application this year.
All families must complete a new application for the 2024-25 school year. Applications from 2023-24 do not roll over.
Please only select "IEP" if your child is currently receiving or has recently been found eligible for preschool special education or related services.
After submitting your UPK application, monitor your email and text messages over the following days. You will receive an email or text message from UPK (based on the preferred contact method selected) indicating that you need to accept your funding through UPK.
Once you receive that message, log back into the UPK application and accept the offer.
If your family completed the UPK application, please check that your UPK application lists the school shown on your SchoolChoice application. If the UPK application shows a different school, please update the school in the UPK application to match the school on your SchoolChoice application. Please note: If you are unable to edit the school listed on your UPK application to match your SchoolChoice match, please contact the LCO Denver Preschool Program by emailing denverupk@dpp.org or calling 720-221-8500.
View our FAQ about UPK here.
Preschool is a tuition-based program. Tuition is determined on a sliding fee scale by the family household size and gross income and ranges from free to out-of-district cost.
UPK ensures that every child, in the year before they are eligible for kindergarten, is eligible for half-day (minimum 15 hours per week) state-funded, voluntary preschool, provided they complete the UPK application. ECE students with an IEP are eligible for half-day preschool funding at a minimum.
Tuition rates are subject to change.
The DPS Enrollment Guides are a great resource for families to find the best school for their students! To request a translated version of part or all of this guide at no cost, please call our family helpline at 720-423-3054 or email translations@dpsk12.org with the language and sections needed. You can also view the enrollment zone guides and School Finder for detailed information about each DPS school.
Our Enrollment Information Packets are a shortened version of the Enrollment Guide, focusing less on each school and more on the SchoolChoice application process itself. These packets are available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Vietnamese, Somali, Amharic, Nepali, French and Mandarin. Email communications@dpsk12.org with questions.
For more information on preschool providers in Denver or for support with your UPK application, contact the LCO Denver Preschool Program by emailing denverupk@dpp.org or calling 720-221-8500.
For more information on the statewide UPK Program, call 303-866-5223 or email cdec_upkcolorado@state.co.us.
