The increase in popularity of Colorado charter schools is attributed to choice for both parents and students – choices around the structure of education.Cari Stegall, administrative assistant at the charter school unit of the Colorado Department of Education, said the number of charter schools in Colorado is growing significantly.”The benefit of charter schools can be the smaller classroom sizes. Elementary kids tend to do better in reading and writing, in particular, than in public schools,” Stegall said. “There is also a large emphasis in core knowledge curriculum.”Sandy Collins, director of growth planning and school support, said, “We want there to be choices for kids and we want there to be choices for parents. That’s why we have approved three charter schools. That is a lot for a district this size.”She said three charter schools will operate in School District 49. Pikes Peak School of Expeditionary Learning opened in 2003, while Banning Lewis Ranch Academy is scheduled to open the end of August. Although the application for Rocky Mountain Classical Academy has been approved by D 49, the contract is still under negotiation, Collins said.The application addresses charter school accountability, and the contract addresses the operation of the charter school within the district, she said.Stegall said charter schools have their own governing board and need to provide their own building.”We have a real strong and beneficial partnership with the district,” PPSEL Principal Don Knapp said. “I attend district principal meetings, meet with D 49 representatives and the school contracts with the district for special education services.”Leslie Hveem, vice president of the Banning Lewis Charter Academy school board, said the school applied through D 49, and the contract “clearly delineates the relationship between the charter school and the school district.”Funding for Colorado charter schools is allocated by the state, which received a $5 million federal grant for 2005 and 2006. Stegall said the grant was awarded under the No Child Left Behind Act, and is used to supplement funding from the district or the Colorado Charter School Institute. The NCLB Act was passed into law in 2002, Stegall said.”There is a lot of misconception about charter schools taking money away from districts. The districts receive 100 percent of the per-pupil funding for kids attending a charter school, but up to 5 percent can be withheld for administrative costs or services, such as special education,” Stegall said.Stegall said the Colorado Charter Act went into effect in 1993. Charter schools can apply through the school district or the CCSI. Only six districts in Colorado do not have exclusive charter school authority and have applied through the CCSI, she said.Charter schools follow the same guidelines as other public schools within the state, but can waive certain statutes, such as teacher licensing, student transportation and meals. Although PPSEL employs certified teachers, charter schools in Colorado are not required to employ teachers with a current Colorado teaching license as long as they are considered “highly qualified teachers.” This waiver is in accordance with the NCLB Act. Stegall said many charter schools enlist professionals from the business and legal world to teach students a specific topic.Collins said waivers could be a problem for many children wanting to attend a charter school.”If no transportation is provided, only the people that can get their kids to school can go. If no lunch is provided, they can’t apply for the discounted lunch program. If their parents don’t send a lunch, they don’t get anything. This precludes a lot of our low-socioeconomic kids, which could be a problem,” Collins said.She said Colorado charter schools are required to administer standardized tests, such as the Colorado Student Assessment Program.Shaka Mitchell, associate director of policy at the Center for Education Reform, said, “By doing this, (standardized testing) charter schools are embracing the idea that students need to be accountable and show results. Charter schools can be closed if no results are shown from student achievement.”Mitchell said 40 states and the District of Columbia have charter schools, so there are 41 different charter school laws. He said Colorado is ranked ninth in the nation for charter school law strength.”A charter school is an innovative public school that is held accountable for student results. These are not private schools, there is no tuition and they have open enrollment,” he said.He said 3,625 charter schools currently operate nationwide, with 116 charter schools located in Colorado, which is about a 3 percent increase in students from 2004 to 2005, Mitchell said.”With any trip to the supermarket or mall, you can see people like to have choices. There has been a gain in popularity because it gives parents another option,” Mitchell said, “The school may be designed with arts or science and technology as the focus.”Knapp said, “Every charter school offers something unique to the students. Charter schools are a school of choice, so students don’t have to follow the traditional model. They can offer a choice as to what fits someone best as a learner. It allows them to have their own needs met.”Hveem said BLRA will focus on a core knowledge curriculum and paragon, a social studies based curriculum. She said Mosaica Education Inc. is a management company hired by BLRA to help start and maintain the school.”All students K-8 will study the same topic, but at their grade level,” Hveem said, “This integrates all learning styles.”Another difference from the traditional public school is that the school day is 45 minutes longer with 20 more days in the school year.”This equals two extra years of learning if a student attends K-8,” she said.Hveem said that on Feb. 2 the school will hold a lottery for student enrollment. If too few spaces are available for the amount of students who apply, she said the school will start a wait list.
