WE ASKED UPK PROVIDERS HOW A RATIO DECREASE WOULD AFFECT THEM.
This is what they said....
Proposed Ratio Decreases Will Financially Devastate Lower-Rated Colorado Preschools
109 Colorado UPK programs at Quality Ratings 1โ3 responded about the fiscal impact of the proposed 1:11 ratio requirement. The results are clear โ and alarming.
Ratings 1โ3 Programs Bear the Full Burden
Out of 241 total survey respondents, 109 are at Quality Ratings 1โ3 and directly subject to the ratio decrease. Ratings 4 and 5 programs are exempt โ but a state-imposed freeze on Colorado Shines ratings means programs currently cannot advance their rating to gain that exemption.
The Colorado Shines Rating Freeze Makes This Worse
The state has frozen the Colorado Shines rating pathway โ programs cannot currently advance to a higher rating even if they qualify. This means that programs at Ratings 1โ3 that are actively working to improve have no pathway to earn an exemption before the rule takes effect this summer. Multiple programs have noted the rating freeze is not scheduled to lift until July 2026, and the interim pathway is not yet available. Requiring ratio compliance while blocking the path to exemption is a direct contradiction.
More Than Half of Affected Programs Had No Idea This Was Coming
Among the 109 programs at Ratings 1โ3, 53% were completely unaware of the mandated ratio change โ raising serious questions about the state's outreach, especially to the programs most financially vulnerable.
๐ 53% of affected programs were unaware of the requirement
That's 58 out of 109 programs subject to this rule who had not been informed of a major regulatory change affecting their operations starting this summer.
n=109 respondents at Quality Ratings 1โ3
62% of Affected Programs Face Direct Financial Harm
Among the 109 programs subject to the rule, 62% are directly impacted or will be impacted as they grow enrollment โ and of those, 91% say they cannot afford the loss.
Will the ratio decrease affect your program?
Can your program afford the revenue loss?
โ this will make it impossible"
โ this will make it harder"
themselves in financial distress
describe themselves in hardship
Nearly $3 Million in Projected Annual Losses
Programs at Ratings 1โ3 that reported financial figures project a combined loss of $2.88 million annually โ and these are only the programs that completed the survey.
Distribution of Annual Revenue Loss
Total Annual Loss by Program Setting
Community-Based Centers Hit Hardest
Among Rating 1โ3 programs, community-based centers face a 73% impact rate. School districts, even at lower ratings, have structural buffers that private providers do not.
| Program Setting | Rating 1โ3 Responses | Directly or Conditionally Affected | % Affected | Impact Level | Can't Afford Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community Based | 75 | 55 |
73%
|
Critical | 94% (52 of 55) |
| Home-Based | 20 | 10 |
50%
|
High | 70% (7 of 10) |
| School District | 14 | 3 |
21%
|
Moderate | 100% (3 of 3) |
What Rating 1โ3 Programs Want the State to Know
These are direct quotes from Colorado UPK program directors and providers at Quality Ratings 1โ3 โ the programs that will be most directly impacted.
This proposed overregulation will make it significantly harder for families to continue care in the school of their choice. Centers will be forced to increase tuition for all students to offset the financial loss. Many centers may be forced to withdraw from UPK participation entirely โ ultimately disadvantaging the very families the program aims to support.
There is currently a freeze on centers' ratings for Colorado Shines due to a lack of funding, and there is no recourse to get a higher rating to avoid the decreased ratio. While that is the case, the adjusted ratios should be postponed.
Reducing the staff-to-child ratio by even one child creates a disproportionate financial and operational burden. While the change may appear minor on paper, the impact is significant in practice. Losing a single child per classroom directly reduces revenue, yet staffing costs, rent, and overhead remain the same.
What is the benefit of any of this to providers? More paperwork, more rules, less children, no income. This program is killing us both financially and mentally.
The state wants us to pay teachers and assistants decent living wages, but then takes money away from us that makes it possible to pay staff. Makes no sense.
It is hard enough to survive. Why are they making it harder? It makes me want to give up.
As a home-based provider, I have limited space and staffing. This ratio change puts more pressure on me to either take on more children than is manageable or lose income. Even losing a small number of children has a big financial impact. This change will make it harder to maintain both quality care and financial sustainability.
There is no evidence that lowering the ratio will improve performance or increase learning. ZERO.
In a time when we are trying to increase wages and benefits for ECE professionals so that they can make a livable salary โ reducing the ratio in UPK would be detrimental to this effort. I will not be able to pay higher salaries, contribute to retirement funds, or offer better health benefits.
With all the changes in Colorado Shines and licensing โ this is an added issue. To be a Level 4 or 5 you keep ratio at 1:10, so this is one of the reasons we don't want to be Level 4 or 5. We have been operating at 1:12 for 15 years and it works well for our program.
Please leave the ratios to licensing. We should be helping as many families as possible with UPK funding, not taking it away from more families.
The amount of lost revenue is basically paying a teacher for a year.
Key Findings for State Policymakers
The data from 109 Colorado UPK programs at Quality Ratings 1โ3 tells a consistent and urgent story. The proposed ratio changes carry severe, documented financial consequences โ with no safety justification provided.
Ratings Freeze Eliminates Escape Route
The Colorado Shines freeze means programs cannot upgrade their rating to gain the Level 4/5 exemption, even if they qualify. Programs are trapped.
Lack of Awareness
53% of affected programs were unaware of this requirement โ a failure in state communication for a rule taking effect this summer.
$2.88M in Projected Annual Losses
91% of affected programs say they cannot absorb the hit. The average annual loss per program is $60,058.
234 Children Lose Access
The children displaced are those in programs working toward quality improvement โ the exact families UPK is meant to serve.
Programs at Risk of Closure
20 programs say they are "barely surviving" โ this change makes continued operation impossible. 32 more say it makes an already hard situation worse.
No Safety Justification
Programs universally question the rationale. No evidence has been provided that 1:12 is unsafe. This appears to be a policy decision, not a child-safety one.
