FORT COLLINS (AP) – Parents who want to send their children to full-day kindergarten in the Poudre School District will have to shell out $2,450 for tuition, a $200 increase to cover rising costs because the state only funds schools for half-day programs.

The tuition increase is a last resort to challenges facing full-day kindergarten, Assistant Superintendent Todd Lambert said. Those challenges include supplies, staffing and support.

“We would love to be funded and give every student who wants full-day kindergarten the opportunity to do so,” Lambert said. “It would be great to have the state commit to this and fund it accordingly.”

The tuition increase is a lot of money for some families, Lambert said. The district offers scholarships to help, he said.

“We’re obviously incredibly sensitive to the plight of our families,” Lambert said. “If somebody is in a position where they can’t afford (the program), we do everything we can to make that a viable option for them.”

Up to 70 percent of kindergarten families want full-day kindergarten, he said. They can pay the tuition in full or spread it out over the school year.

Lambert said the program is offered at all district schools.