Ponderosa Elementary Preschool

Center · Aurora · 1885 S Lima St

What kind of place is this?

Size 40 children licensed In the middle half for Denver centers, where the middle half licenses 40–113. Measured across 1,156 Denver centers, 2026-08-17.

Will it fit our family?

Ages served Preschool (3 years old) and Pre-Kindergarten (4 years old)

What will it cost us?

This provider does not publish pricing.

What Shortlist has verified

State quality rating Colorado Shines Level 4
License status Active

State record — Colorado Department of Early Childhood

Last visit
February 11, 2026
On file
3 visits since May 2024 — all of them cited findings
Fixed?
The latest correction deadline was February 11, 2026. Colorado Department of Early Childhood does not publish whether it was made.
Most serious
Colorado Department of Early Childhood does not publish a severity level for a citation, so there is no most-serious to name.

Colorado’s Department of Early Childhood lists each program’s complaints on its Colorado Shines page, with the department’s verdict on each and a report behind it, going back about three years. Older complaints are released only on request. The department does not rank complaints by severity in either place.

Feb 2026 Supervisory visit 4 findings

Supervisory visit · February 11, 2026

2.229.C · Correction due February 11, 2026

At the time of visit, observed in the 2B classroom in an closet and in the 1A classroom on the desk diaper wipes labeled keep out of reach of children accessible to children.

Required correction: Immediately. Items labeled keep out of reach of children must be inaccessible to children. Corrected at time of visit. Teacher in room 2B locked the closet and staff in 1A placed them on a higher shelf. Submit future statement of written compliance by 3/11/2026. Correct by 02/11/2026

2.138.A · Correction due February 11, 2026

At the time of visit, reviewed drill logs. Observed missing fire drill for the month of January and missing tornado drills from August through October.

Required correction: Immediately. Tornado drills must be held monthly from March to October. Fire drills must be held monthly. A record of all emergency drills must be maintained by the facility including date and time of drill, number of adults and children participating and time taken to evacuate. Submit written statement of compliance by 3/11/2026. Correct by 02/11/2026

2.127.A · Correction due February 11, 2026

At the time of visit, observed an expired license dated 2024 posted in the facility.

Required correction: Immediately. At all times during the operating hours of the facility, the facility must post the current child care license in an easily observable location. Submit documentation and written statement of compliance by 3/11/2026. Correct by 02/11/2026

2.219.B.1

At the time of visit, reviewed 6 child files. Observed 1 file missing updated immunization records.

State records file

Mar 2025 Supervisory visit 8 findings

Supervisory visit · March 13, 2025

2.219.B.4 · Correction due March 13, 2025

Reviewed 12 child files. 7 children missing updated health statements.

Required correction: Review all child files. All children must have health statements on file that are updated in accordance with the AAP available for review at all times. Submit a written statement of compliance by 4/13/2025. Correct by 03/13/2025

2.220.K

Reviewed 12 child files. 3 children missing written authorization to apply sunscreen and other topicals.

2.221.B · Correction due March 13, 2025

At the time of visit, and confirmed through staff statements, the children did not have sunscreen applied by parents prior to arriving at the facility or applied by staff prior to going outside.

Required correction: Immediately, the center must apply sunscreen or have the parent(s)/guardian(s) apply sunscreen, prior to the children going outside, and sunscreen must be reapplied as directed by the product label. Submit a written statement of compliance by 4/13/2025. Correct by 03/13/2025

2.229.C · Correction due March 13, 2025

At the time of visit, in Mobile 2A, the supply closet was unlocked and the following items labeled 'keep out of reach of children' were accessible to children: bottles of sunscreen, Lysol sanitizer spray, Clorox wipes, and dish soap. In Mobile 2B, the supply closet was unlocked and the following items labeled 'keep out of reach of children' were accessible to children: bottles of hand sanitizer, spray bottles of table and bathroom sanitizers.

Required correction: Immediately, all items labeled 'keep out of reach of children' must be inaccessible to children at all times. Corrected at time of visit, the closets were locked making the items inaccessible to children. Submit a written statement of future compliance by 4/13/2025. Correct by 03/13/2025

2.230.B

At the time of visit, in Mobile 2B, a phone and electrical cord were loose and dangling in the dramatic play area, creating a safety hazard.

Required correction: Immediately, all indoor equipment and furnishings must be safe and free of hazards at all times. Submit photo

2.237.D · Correction due March 13, 2025

At the time of visit, in Mobile 2B, a staff purse was on the floor by the teacher's desk and accessible to children.

Required correction: Immediately staff purses and other hazardous items must be inaccessible to children at all times. Corrected at time of visit, the classroom teacher moved the purse to a locked closet making it inaccessible to children. Submit a written statement of future compliance by 4/13/2025. Correct by 03/13/2025

2.237.E · Correction due March 13, 2025

At the time of visit, in the unlocked storage closets for both Mobile 2A and Mobile 2B, bottles of bleach and cleaning mops were accessible to children.

Required correction: Immediately, cleaning compounds and mops must be inaccessible to children at all times. Corrected at time of visit, the closets were locked making the cleaning products inaccessible to children. Submit a written statement of future compliance by 4/13/2025. Correct by 03/13/2025

2.229.H · Correction due March 13, 2025

At the time of visit, in Mobile 2A, adult scissors were on the teacher's desk and accessible to children.

Required correction: Immediately, all sharp tools must be inaccessible to children at all times. Corrected at time of visit, the classroom teacher moved the scissors to a high shelf making them inaccessible to children. Submit a written statement of future compliance by 4/13/2025. Correct by 03/13/2025

State records file

May 2024 Supervisory visit 3 findings

Supervisory visit · May 16, 2024

2.237.H · Correction due May 16, 2024

At the time of visit, in Mobile 2A, two outlets were uncovered near the door to the hallway and were accessible to children.

Required correction: Immediately, all electrical outlets that are accessible to children must have protective covers at all times. Submit a written statement of compliance by 5/22/2024. Correct by 05/16/2024

2.230.B · Correction due May 16, 2024

At the time of visit, in Mobile 2B, a computer laptop cord was hanging off the edge of the teacher desk creating a safety hazard for children.

Required correction: Immediately, all indoor equipment and furnishings must be safe and free of hazards at all times. Submit a written statement of compliance by 5/22/2024. Correct by 05/16/2024

2.229.C · Correction due May 16, 2024

At the time of visit, in Mobile 2B, a bottle of hand sanitizer labeled 'keep out of reach of children' was on a low shelf under the teacher's desk and accessible to children.

Required correction: Immediately, all items labeled 'keep out of reach of children' must be inaccessible to children at all times. Submit a written statement of compliance by 5/22/2024. Correct by 05/16/2024

State records file

Where this record comes from

The Department of Early Childhood keeps about three years of complaints on a program’s public page. Anything older is released only on request, as a single file covering the whole state. Shortlist asked for that file under the Colorado Open Records Act and renews it yearly; it is what this page shows for complaints older than the department’s own window.

The file this page is built from arrived on September 13, 2026 and covers complaints the department publishes today, and complaints back to January 2023 obtained by records request. The next request goes in September 2027.

The department publishes a report for each of these visits. Shortlist has not read those reports yet, so this page shows when the state came and not what it found.

Ask for this program’s record now

The department will also review one program’s complete file on request, which is more than either source above contains. Leave your email and Shortlist will ask for Ponderosa Elementary Preschool’s file specifically, instead of waiting for the next one.

Before you tour

Ponderosa Elementary Preschool hasn’t published

Cost, hours and late pickup, a typical day, sick and biting policies.

Ask which of these findings were serious, and what changed.Colorado Department of Early Childhood publishes a correction deadline, never whether the work was done or how serious it was.

Sources and dates

Where every fact on this page came from, and when Shortlist last checked it against that source. Anything Shortlist could not source is named here rather than left blank.

What kind of place is this

Not yet reported: established, teaching approach.

Will it fit our family

Not yet reported: hours, days / week, schedule, holiday closures.

Licensing and contact

State record

Every state visit and complaint on file, shown in full and never edited. Open a date to read what the state wrote.

Do you run Ponderosa Elementary Preschool? Shortlist has no tuition, hours or ratios for it, because the state does not publish that. Add what is missing. It is free and takes about ten minutes.