Colorado's Preschool Matching System Separates Twins

A Denver mother's story exposes a flaw in the state's algorithm-driven preschool placement process.

Apr. 13, 2026 at 5:20am

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An abstract, impressionistic scene of two blurred, silhouetted children playing on a playground, surrounded by soft, warm light and color, conveying a sense of childhood wonder and the challenges of navigating complex educational systems.A glitch in Colorado's preschool placement algorithm leaves some families struggling to keep twins together.Denver Today

A Denver mother, Emily Mahoney, was shocked to learn that her four-year-old twins, Adeline and Lucian, were assigned to different preschools located 15 minutes apart, despite her efforts to have them placed together. This issue was caused by a flaw in Colorado's Universal Preschool Program (UPK) algorithm, which does not automatically link sibling or twin applications.

Why it matters

The situation highlights the need for more flexibility and adaptability in the state's preschool placement system, as well as the importance of prioritizing sibling and twin placements to ensure families can easily manage their children's education.

The details

Mahoney called the UPK program before the application deadline to request that her twins be placed together, but the algorithm still assigned them to different schools. The UPK system uses a ranking process where parents select their school choices, and an algorithm determines the placements. However, the schools themselves have no say in the matching process. This year, nearly 30,000 preschoolers applied through UPK, adding to the complexity.

  • Mahoney applied for the 2026-27 school year through Colorado's Universal Preschool Program (UPK).
  • The placement results were emailed to Mahoney in early 2026.

The players

Emily Mahoney

A Denver mother whose four-year-old twins, Adeline and Lucian, were assigned to different preschools by Colorado's UPK system.

Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC)

The state agency responsible for administering the Universal Preschool Program (UPK) and acknowledging the need to address the issue of separating twins.

Priscilla Hopkins

The director of early education for Denver Public Schools (DPS), who explained that the district has no control over the state's matching process.

Denver Preschool Program

The organization that suggested Mahoney contact the schools directly to resolve the twin placement issue, though the schools had no authority to intervene.

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What they’re saying

“I was calling everybody in a panic. I didn't know which one to accept because there might not be spots for the other one.”

— Emily Mahoney, Denver mother

“We don't override. We call the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, and we work through that together. Then the correct match comes to us, and then we can extend the offer.”

— Priscilla Hopkins, Director of early education, Denver Public Schools

“I really think that there should be a sibling priority or a way to call out on my applications that they're multiples.”

— Emily Mahoney, Denver mother

What’s next

CDEC is actively evaluating system enhancements and looking into opportunities to ensure twins and siblings of the same age are placed together.

The takeaway

This situation highlights the need for more flexibility and adaptability in Colorado's preschool placement system, as well as the importance of prioritizing sibling and twin placements to ensure families can easily manage their children's education.