Early Childhood Education

   

 

 

 

Thank you for your interest in District 51's preschool program.  We look forward to the opportunity to work with your family. Families with children that are at least three (3) years old and younger than five (5) years old as of August 31, 2026 are encouraged to complete a District 51 preschool application.

District 51's preschool program participates in the Universal Preschool (UPK) Colorado program. The Universal Preschool (UPK) Colorado program ensures that every child in the year before they are eligible for kindergarten is eligible for up to 15 hours of state-funded, voluntary preschool. It also ensures that preschool age children with an active individualized education program (IEP) are offered free and appropriate public education (FAPE) according to the child's active IEP. Families with a child with one year prior to kindergarten or a preschool aged child with an active IEP need to complete a Universal Preschool Colorado application.

Children with two years prior to kindergarten without an active IEP may be eligible for placement in one of our part-time preschool programs. There are a limited amount of slots available for children with two years prior to kindergarten without an active IEP if families qualify with 1 or more risk factors.  Families will need to complete the District 51 Preschool Application.

District 51 preschool classrooms offer placement and provide Special Education services to preschool-age children who have been identified with special education needs and have a current Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Special Education means having a disability in one or more of the following areas: speech/language, cognition/thinking, social/emotional, or physical, which has been identified through our Child Find process.

The Colorado Department of Early Childhood licenses all our programs.

District 51 Preschool Locations:

Part-Time Programs (10 and 15 hrs. per week)

• D51 Early Childhood Center at Nisley Elementary
• Appleton Elementary
• Broadway Elementary
• Dos Rios Elementary
• Dual Immersion Academy
• Lincoln Orchard Mesa Elementary
• Mesa View Elementary
• Pear Park Elementary
• Pomona Elementary
• Rim Rock Elementary
• Rocky Mt. Elementary
• Shelledy Elementary
• Taylor Elementary
• Thunder Mountain Elementary
• Tope Elementary

Full-Day Programs (30 hrs. per week)

• D51 Early Childhood Center at Nisley Elementary *
• Loma Elementary *

* Limited availability, placement dependent on qualifying for full-day hours with UPK

District 51 Preschool Application Process

Now Accepting Applications for School Year 26/27!

To enroll in Preschool for 26/27, your child must be 3 or 4 on or before 8/31/26.

For Children TWO years prior to Kindergarten (3 on or before 8/31/26): 

1. Complete D51 Preschool Application, click button below.

D51 Preschool Application

2. Watch for a placement letter from preschool@d51schools.org (This letter is sent no sooner than February 2026).

3. Beginning mid-July, parents must complete the D51 registration through ParentVue.

• If you do not have a ParentVUE account, you can create an account by using this link Creating a ParentVUE account. You can create an account now, but please note you will not be able to begin the enrollment process until mid-July.
• If you already have a Parentvue Account with D51 and have forgotten your password, please use this link to reset it ParentVUE (forgot password)
• After you finish filling in the necessary fields of online registration, the system will automatically assign your child to D51 Early Childhood Center (this is our holding area until we confirm your preferred location).

Needed documents (immunization record and birth certificate) can be uploaded during the online registration process and in many instances speeds up the whole process. If the documents are not uploaded during the online registration process, you will need to provide the needed documents directly to your child’s teacher in August. 

 

For Children ONE year prior to Kindergarten (4 on or before 8/31/26): 

1. Complete an application through Colorado UPK  https://upk.colorado.gov
   1. Select your preferred D51 location and your class (am or pm)

2. Check your email, you must accept your match through UPK. 

3. Watch for a placement letter from preschool@d51schools.org (This letter is sent no sooner than February 2026 and AFTER you have accepted         your match with D51).

4.  Beginning mid-July, parents must complete the D51 registration through ParentVue.

• If you do not have a ParentVUE account, you can create an account by using this link Creating a ParentVUE account. You can create an account now, but please note you will not be able to begin the enrollment process until mid-July.
• If you already have a Parentvue Account with D51 and have forgotten your password, please use this link to reset it ParentVUE (forgot password)
• After you finish filling in the necessary fields of online registration, the system will automatically assign your child to D51 Early Childhood Center (this is our holding area until we confirm your preferred location).

 

For 25/26 School Year Applications, please call our office for assistance.

Questions? Contact the Early Childhood Office @ 970-254-5429

 

Primero los Estudiantes

Nuestros programas de preescolar están diseñados para proveer una experiencia positiva durante los primeros años de educación para los niños/as de 3 y 4 años.

Para mayor información por favor comuníquese

Luz Weeks
(970) 254-5871
Traductora e intérprete para ECE y Child Find