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Sarah Hepworth holds an eligibility form for students who enroll in the state-funded Colorado Preschool and Kindergarten Program. This year, about 20 students are on a waiting list for the preschool program, and funding for 15 extended-day kindergarten slots is being used to fund 45 students.

Craig — At the Early Childhood Center on Yampa Avenue, Sarah Hepworth teaches kindergarten and preschool students.

Hepworth, the Moffat County School District early childhood services director, said she finds her students' frankness appealing.

"They pretty much tell you the truth," she said. "They tell it like they see it."

Hepworth also works with numbers - specifically, the number of students waiting to enroll in a state-funded intervention program offered at the childhood center.

Like the children, these numbers don't lie.

Each year, 20 to 30 Moffat County children go on a waiting list for a preschool program intended to prepare at-risk students for elementary education and beyond.

These figures haven't decreased in recent years.

"It's actually getting worse," Hepworth said.

For her, those numbers show societal risk factors make early education a necessity in Moffat County.

Other numbers indicate the state isn't providing enough funds for children who need early intervention, she said.

The preschool class is operated under the Colorado Preschool and Kindergarten Program, a state-funded operation that allows eligible students to attend preschool for free.

The program served 16,360 at-risk kindergartners and preschoolers, the Colorado Department of Education reported in a press release.

Ordinarily, preschool comes at a cost to parents. The district's Early Childhood Program charges $140 per month - an "unbelievably cheap" price compared to private preschool providers, Hepworth said.

Students must exhibit risk factors, including free and reduced lunch eligibility, to qualify for the preschool program, according to the press release.

The state-funded program also funds extended-day kindergarten for students who are at risk of falling behind in elementary school. The program allows students to attend an additional 2 hours of school per day and gives them more time to practice skills.

Kindergarten and preschool teachers refer students to the program.

Both programs provide additional funds of about $2,900 for each student enrolled.

At least, that's what the state intended.

For the extended day kindergarten program in Moffat County, funding for 15 slots is being used to fund 45 students.

The state isn't providing enough funding to the program, Hepworth said.

For her, that's a problem.

"I think anyone in the education system would agree that a single year of preschool is important for getting ready for kindergarten," she said.

Bridget Manley can be reached at 824-7031, ext. 207 or bmanley@craigdailypress.com