On Sept. 2, when the majority of Archuleta County students return to classrooms for the school year, Archuleta School District (ASD) will offer something new: a preschool program.
At the Aug. 5 meeting of the ASD Board of Education, ASD Superintendent Rick Holt told the board the district had its preliminary license and was on track to receive its final license.
He added he is fairly confident the district will fill the seats available in the program.
Board president Bob Lynch gave “kudos” to everyone invoved with launching the program.
“We recognized that there was a shortage of available preschool seats in our community,” Holt explains in an email to The SUN. “Many school districts around the state run their own programs and felt it was time we did the same.”
Holt explains the district began the process last spring and began with the district offering space to local partners, with Head Start operating out of Pagosa Springs Elementary School (PSES) last school year.
“This year we worked with Seeds of Learning to see if they would want to expand into the space,” Holt wrote. “The timing was not ideal and ultimately Seeds opted not to use the space. We are continuing to look for opportunities to share resources like space and food programs with local partners.”
The superintendent added that ASD received its license over the summer and “have been completing the required background checks and inspections this August.”
He noted the program will launch Sept. 2 in the kindergarten wing of PSES and mirror the school year calendar.
Holt notes there will be 16 seats in the program.
He notes that could mean 16 full-time students Monday through Friday or more students who attend two or three days a week.
The program will serve 3- and 4-year-olds.
“One programming choice we made was to prioritize students of our full time staff members,” Holt wrote. “We see having a program in the school as a benefit to employees. We are offering free extended care and a 15% reduction on tuition for staff members.”
A chart provided by Holt shows the 2025-2026 preschool rates after Universal Preschool, or UPK, benefits for 4-year-olds and eligible 3-year-olds, as well as rates without UPK benefits.
It notes the tuition is billed over nine months from September to May.
For the pre-K standard day program, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., five days a week is $500 per month with the 10- to 15-hour UPK benefit or $165 per month with the UPK 30-hour benefit. Without the UPK benefit, it is $835 per month.
Four days a week for the 10- to 15-hour UPK benefit would be $335 per month or $670 per month without the UPK benefit.
For three days a week, it would be $165 per month with the UPK benefit or $335 per month without.
Two days a week would be $335 per month with no UPK benefit.
For the pre-K extended and standard day program, from 7:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., five days a week would be $723 per month under the 10- to 15-hour benefit, $388 per month under the 30-hour benefit or $1,058 per month without UPK benefit.
Four days a week would be $511 with the UPK benefit or $846 per month without it.
For three days a week, the cost would be $300 per month with the UPK benefit or $635 per month without it.
For two days a week, the cost with UPK benefit would be $88 per month or $423 per month without it.
For more information, Holt directs families to call PSES at (970) 264-2229.
“We are working on updating our Elementary Website but the most current information can be found by calling the school directly,” he states.
randi@pagosasun.com
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