Eligibility

Preschool is for children who are 3 by October 1, 2025 (two years before they are eligible for kindergarten).

PreK is for children who are 4 by October 1, 2025 (the year before they are eligible for kindergarten).

Students who turn 5 years old by October 1 are eligible for kindergarten and are not eligible for the PreK program.

Application Steps

1. Complete the Intent to Enroll in 2025-26 form and PreK families complete the UPK application at upk.colorado.gov.

2. Accept your school match through Colorado UPK.

3. Enroll in Lewis-Palmer School District (online). Instructions for completing the online enrollment process will be emailed.

4. Additional Preschool Forms Packet (or Additional Preschool Forms Packet in Spanish) will be emailed to you in May. Preschool-specific forms required by licensing must be completed before starting school.

Tuition

Lewis-Palmer School District participates in Colorado's Universal Preschool (UPK) program that offers free, voluntary PreK for children the year before they are eligible for kindergarten and qualified 3-year-olds.

Colorado’s UPK program: PreK families must enroll in the Colorado Universal PreK program by completing the Universal PreK Family Application at upk.colorado.gov. Please select the Lewis-Palmer site you wish to attend. We recommend selecting several D38 sites in case a class fills.

When your family has been matched to a site, you must accept the match within the provided timeline to retain your seat.

You can find more information about Universal Preschool at the following websites:

• Joint Initiatives & Universal Preschool 

• Department of Early Childhood & Universal Preschool

Tuition for the 2025-26 school year

Preschool families (students who are two years before kindergarten) pay tuition. Tuition is $3105.00 and paid in 9 monthly payments of $345.00. 

PreK families who qualify for 15 hours of UPK and attend the full-day program pay tuition for the additional 15 hours of programming. Tuition is $4500.00 and is paid in 9 monthly payments of $500.00. Families who qualify for 30 hours of UPK do not pay tuition.

Deposit to secure a seat: When a family is offered a spot, the family is required to complete the enrollment process, sign the tuition agreement, and pay a $175 non-refundable deposit to secure their spot. The deposit is applied to the first month's tuition. For families enrolling after the first day of the school year, tuition will be prorated. 

Monthly payments are due on the first of the month from August through April. If tuition is not paid by the 10th of the month, the child will be disenrolled from the program.

Scholarships: If your 3-year-old child does not have an IEP, but meets one of the UPK qualifying factors, you can apply for one of the limited scholarships by completing an application and sending it to mgibson-steiner@lewispalmer.org.

• Lewis-Palmer Early Childhood Preschool Scholarship Application

• Spanish Lewis-Palmer Early Childhood Preschool Scholarship Application

Fees: Other costs may include field trips, parties, or special events. A yearly maximum of $50 is set. This includes the child's cost and any costs for the adult chaperone. Scholarships are available for families who need financial assistance. Families are asked to donate supplies throughout the year to reduce the overhead costs of the program.

Early Childhood Program Priority Placement Guideline:

Lewis-Palmer Early Childhood program provides equitable enrollment for all D38 families. The program prioritizes enrollment for students using the following guidelines.

For students who qualify for special education, recommended program placement is determined with parents during the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meeting. For transfers, after reviewing the IEP, the Child Find Coordinator collaborates with district personnel and the family to determine placement.

For general education students who qualify for UPK, parents prioritize the preferred site. Enrollment decisions are made according to the following:

1. Students currently enrolled in a Lewis-Palmer Early Childhood program.

2. Students with siblings who will continue enrollment in the early childhood program or the same elementary school.

3. Families who live in the Lewis-Palmer School District and children of staff members.

4. If space is available, consideration may be given to out-of-district families.

For tuition-paying families, enrollment is offered based on space availability and parent preference.