Aurora · Licensed center
Trails West Preschool School DIST 5
- Medium center, licensed for 78 children.
- A public school program, per Colorado's licensing records.
What the state has found
The state lists 3 visits below. Shortlist has not read the reports behind them, so there is no share of visits that cited something to set beside other providers yet.
State record — Colorado Department of Early Childhood
- Last visit
- April 9, 2026
- On file
- 3 visits since May 2024
- Fixed?
- The latest correction deadline was April 9, 2025. 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.
Apr 2025 Supervisory visit 2 findings
Supervisory visit · April 9, 2025
2.229.H · Correction due April 9, 2025
At the time of visit, in the Enrichment classroom observed in a blue bucket adult scissors accessible to children.
Required correction: Immediately 4/9/2025, sharp tools and instruments must be stored in areas inaccessible to children. At the time of visit, the Enrichment teacher removed the adult scissors and placed them in a locked drawer making them inaccessible to children. Submit a written statement of future compliance by 4/16/2025. Correct by 04/09/2025
2.230.B
At the time of visit, observed the playground steps to be peeling up causing a tripping hazard and sharp edging peeling up.
Required correction: Immediately 4/9/2025, Indoor and outdoor equipment, materials, and furnishings must be sturdy, safe a free of
May 2024 Supervisory visit 6 findings
Supervisory visit · May 2, 2024
2.205.A · Correction due May 2, 2024
Identified through staff statements that there has not been an appointed director for the program since December.
Required correction: Immediately, 5/2/2024, the governing body must appoint a director who will be responsible to the governing body and will be delegated the authority and responsibility for the operation of the center according to its defined purpose and policies. Submit statement of compliance by 6/1/2024. Correct by 05/02/2024
2.213.F
Reviewed 4 staff files and observed 1 (S.J.) to be lacking current documentation of the Department -approved Introduction to First Aid and CPR module.
2.213.H · Correction due June 1, 2024
Reviewed 4 staff files and observed 1 (S.J.) to be lacking current documentation of the Department -approved training course Introduction to Early Intervention and Preschool Special Education Programs.
Required correction: Review all staff files. All employees caring for children must complete the Department-approved training course Introduction to Early Intervention and Preschool Special Education Programs. Submit documentation and future statement of compliance. Correct by 06/01/2024
2.138.B · Correction due May 2, 2024
Observed documentation and identified through staff statements that no Tornado drills had been conducted in the months of March and April.
Required correction: Immediately, 5/2/2024, drills must be held at unexpected times and under varying conditions to simulate the conditions of an actual fire or other emergency event. Submit documentation and future statement of compliance by 6/1/2024. Correct by 05/02/2024
Reviewed 6 child files and observed 2 files to be lacking current documentation of a dated, written
2.206.A · Correction due May 2, 2024
Reviewed 6 child files and observed 2 files to be lacking current documentation of a signed document stating the parents/guardians have recieved the policies and procedures.
Required correction: Immediately, 5/2/2024, review all child files. At time of enrollment and upon amendments ,the center must obtain a signed document stating the parents/guardians have received the policies and procedures. Submit statement of future compliance by 6/1/2024. Correct by 05/02/2024
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 October 9, 2026 and covers complaints the department publishes today, and complaints back to January 2023 obtained by records request. The next request goes in October 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 Trails West Preschool School DIST 5’s file specifically, instead of waiting for the next one.
Shortlist replaces people’s names in the state’s text with initials. This is done by rule, not by hand, so it can miss a name or shorten a word that isn’t one. The state’s report, linked on each row, has the original.
Openings, child care subsidies, cost, hours and late pickup, teaching approach, ratios and staff, and a typical day aren’t on this page.
Policies
- When a child is sick
- Fever-free (under 100°F) for 24 hours; vomiting/diarrhea subsided 12-24 hours; strep treated 24 hours
Details
- Address
- 5400 S Waco St
- License
- 90214, active
- Quality program
- Colorado Shines Level 4
Run Trails West Preschool School DIST 5? Correct or add anything here, free.
Add what is missingSources 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.
Policies
- When a child is sick — Checked July 2026 trailswest.cherrycreekschools.org
Details
- Website — Checked July 2026 trailswest.cherrycreekschools.org
- Address, License — Checked July 2026 data.colorado.gov
- Quality program — Checked April 2026 data.colorado.gov
- Who runs it — Checked October 2026 data.colorado.gov
Medium means the middle half of Denver-area’s 1,147 licensed centers by state-licensed capacity: 41 to 114 children. Small is 10 to 40; large is 115 to 402.