Strong Start in San Miguel County, CO, was established following the successful passage of Ballot Issue 1A in 2017, a dedicated education millage levy designed to strengthen early childhood systems countywide. The campaign built upon lessons learned from a failed 2007 ballot measure campaign that narrowly focused its messaging on school readiness and lacked polling to inform voter-outreach strategies. When the Strong Start campaign launched in 2017, advocates used polling and conducted a messaging campaign that better aligned with community priorities, emphasizing that investments in early childhood strengthen the local workforce and economy.

Although polling helped identify some of the community’s policy priorities, the ballot language strategically allowed flexible use of new revenue, ensuring the fund could adapt to emerging priorities during and after implementation. Key early supporters in the campaign were Kathleen Merrit with Bright Futures for Early Childhood and Families, and Paul Major from the Telluride Foundation. The campaign was fast and efficient, successfully earning more than 60% of voters’ approval.

Since officially launching in 2019, Strong Start has helped expand access to high-quality early childhood programs. In 2025, voters overwhelmingly reauthorized Ballot Issue 1A (the original 2017 measure that created Strong Start), and allowed the fund to continue collecting all revenue generated from the property tax while remaining in compliance with recent changes to Colorado’s property tax laws.

Fund Purpose and Impact

Strong Start was created to ensure that all children from birth to kindergarten have access to high-quality, affordable early childhood care and education. The fund focuses on four key goals:

Increasing the number of children served by expanding provider capacity
Recruiting, training, and retaining skilled early childhood professionals
Improving the quality of care and educational facilities
Offering need-based financial assistance to families

With support from the levy, the county has been able to provide tuition assistance at all 10 licensed child care centers and one family home child care in the county. Strong Start also funds professional development, training scholarships, and free classes for early childhood educators to help them meet state licensing standards and grow in their careers. They have also been able to increase early childhood teacher wages and award bonuses for teachers who attend training. This investment has reduced staff turnover and strengthened the early childhood workforce in the county.

Governance and Administration

Strong Start is governed through a collaborative structure that ensures transparency, accountability, and alignment with community needs. Following the initial passage of Ballot Issue 1A in 2017, San Miguel County established the Early Childhood Advisory Panel, an independent advisory board responsible for developing recommendations on how the county allocates and uses Strong Start funds. The Early Childhood Advisory Panel meets quarterly and is composed of various members, including the following:

One county commissioner
The director of the Early Childhood Council
The superintendents of the Telluride and Norwood school districts
A community representative
A staff member from Bright Futures

In early 2023, the county solicited bids for an administrative partner to manage the Strong Start fund. The county selected Bright Futures for Early Childhood and Families, a local nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to affordable early childhood care. Bright Futures currently serves as the program administrator through a Memorandum of Understanding, establishing its official partnership with the county government.

Bright Futures is tasked with program implementation and managing the day-to-day operation of the Strong Start fund. Although Bright Futures maintains its own, separate financial records and accounts, the program also must adhere to all state and local transparency and compliance requirements. The Early Childhood Advisory Panel initially approves requests for Strong Start funding and then submits them to the Board of County Commissioners for final approval.

Bright Futures also submits an annual report on Strong Start’s progress, outcomes, and financial records, providing the county and the community with clear insights into the fund’s impact. This structure ensures transparency, accountability, and effective oversight in the administration of Strong Start.