By Deb Risden
When Colorado lawmakers passed the Charter Schools Act in 1993, the state became the third in the U.S. to formally allow publicly funded schools to operate under independent contracts. The goal, according to the Colorado Department of Education, was to increase learning opportunities, encourage innovation and expand school choice within the public school system.
More than 30 years later, charter schools are a defining feature of El Paso County School District 49, which considers itself a “choice district.” Currently, D 49 authorizes 11 charter schools, according to the district’s website.
Under Colorado law, charter schools are funded with public dollars; they must administer state assessments and are subject to federal and state laws governing public education. Charter schools are tuition free.
The CDE also states that charter schools must be nonsectarian, nonreligious and nondiscriminatory in their admission policies. They must be open to all students and cannot discriminate based on race, disability, academic ability or other protected categories. If applications exceed available seats, schools typically use a lottery system to fill openings, as outlined in the state’s guidance and clarified as part of charter contracts.
Brytni Brennan, D 49’s coordinator of charter school relations, said the district’s commitment to school choice is strengthened by its charter schools. She noted that the charters meet a wide range of student needs and interests, varying in size, mission, and instructional models. “These schools provide distinct academic pathways, from college preparatory and career-focused programs to personalized and homeschool models,” she said. “This allows families to select the environment that best supports their child. As a result, our district is able to offer a broader menu of options than many neighboring districts, ensuring that more students can find a school where they feel challenged, supported and inspired.”
According to Colorado Department of Education SchoolView data, there are at least five charter schools in Colorado Springs School District 11 and two in Academy School District 20.
The Colorado Charter School Institute, a state authorizing body created in 2004, can approve and oversee charters that individual districts may not be willing or able to authorize. The CSI may authorize other charters not included in the D 11 and D 20 totals mentioned above.
In D 49, charters operate under contracts approved by the board of education. These contracts outline academic, financial and governance expectations and are reviewed for renewal at the end of each term. Brennan said the district has not experienced a charter school closure since authorizing its first school.
She noted that a small number of new charter applications were not approved over the years. “It was due to not having a strong enough application in the elements of finance, mission/vision and community support for previous administration staff to feel confident in submitting a recommendation of approval to our board of education,” Brennan said.
Pikes Peak School of Expeditionary Learning was the first D 49 charter school, transferring from D 20 about 24 years ago. PPSEL started as a Black Forest School and was the first school in Colorado to change districts.
Don Knapp, executive director and principal of PPSEL, said being the first in the district required navigating uncharted territory. “The district didn’t have a lot of context on what being an authorizer meant,” Knapp said. “They asked many questions, and we had to go before the school board on multiple occasions as well as meet with the superintendent and assistant superintendent several times.” He said support from parents and the Colorado League of Charter Schools helped secure approval.
In the early years, Knapp said there was limited infrastructure to support charter leaders. “I constantly felt like I was carving out new paths and hitting new territory,” he said.
Finding building space was a major hurdle for PPSEL, which had multiple temporary locations in churches and other vacant buildings. Knapp said securing financing required extensive outreach to potential bondholders, many of whom were wary after a charter school in northern Colorado had closed its building.
Today, Knapp said, if a charter school wants to build a facility, many companies are available to work with the school. At the time, public understanding of charter schools was also limited, he said.
Over time, the district’s approach matured as additional charter schools opened and support structures developed, Knapp said. “In addition to the traditional offerings in D 49, there are schools like mine (Expeditionary Learning), core knowledge schools, a Hillsdale school, an online school and others.”
The CDE reports 262 charter schools in Colorado, serving 134,035 students.
Knapp believes the charter model has fulfilled the intent of the 1993 law by broadening curricular options within public education, which he said has been accomplished in D 49.
