The Charter School Institute is an independent agency of the U.S. State of Colorado Department of Education. The Institute operates 18 independent public charter schools in the State of Colorado. The Institute is governed by a nine-member Board of Directors and operates somewhat like a statewide school district. Seven board members are appointed by the Governor of Colorado, and two by the Colorado Commissioner of Education. The mission of the Charter School Institute is to foster high-quality public school choices offered through Institute charter schools in Colorado that deliver rigorous academic content and high academic performance in the a safe environment and on par with the highest performing schools, including particularly schools for at-risk students.
Contents |
The Charter School Institute was created in 2004 by the Colorado House Bill HB 04-1362 as an independent agency within the Colorado Department of Education. The original Board of Directors was appointed in September 2004. The Institute received no state funding for start up. Grants of $50,000 from the Daniels Fund and $137,000 from the Walton Family Foundation provided the funding to begin operations. That funding allowed the hiring of an Executive Director in February 2005, the provision of an office space, and the conduct of the first round of applications for new Institute charter schools.
Twelve applications were submitted in January 2005 for schools to open in the Fall of 2005. After an evaluation process, two of those applications were approved: Colorado Springs Charter Academy in Colorado Springs and Ross Montessori School in Carbondale. These two schools opened in August 2005 with a total enrollment of 377 K-6 students.
The Institute received nine applications for the 2006-2007 school year, including two proposals from existing charter schools seeking to transfer from local district authorization to the Institute. The Institute Board approved seven proposals for charter schools: Pinnacle Charter School in Federal Heights (transfer), High Point Academy in Aurora, T.R. Paul Academy of Arts and Knowledge in Fort Collins, Stone Creek School in Avon, and the Colorado Distance & Electronic Learning Academy (statewide).
The Institute approved four new schools and one school to transfer to the Institute for the fall of 2007: Caprock Academy in Grand Junction, Colorado Springs Early Colleges in Colorado Springs, Ricardo Flores Magón Academy, Cesar Chavez Colorado Springs Central in Colorado Springs, and 21st Century Charter School in Colorado Springs. One new school was approved to open in the Fall of 2008: Cesar Chavez Colorado Springs in Colorado Springs.
The Institute received seven applications and approved four new schools, one new school, one a current program of another charter school, one school to transfer to the Institute in Fall of 2008, and one to open in Fall 2009: Early College of Arvada, GOAL Academy, The Vanguard Academy, Animas High School (fall 2009)
The Institute received six applications for new schools to open in the fall of 2009. Two applicants withdrew, two applications were deemed incomplete, one school has been approved to open in Fall 2009, and one school has been approved to open in Fall 2010. Thomas MacClaren State Charter School (Colorado Springs) Fall 2009
| Charter School | Grades[3] | Year[4] | Location | County | State |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animas High School | 9-10 | 2009 | Durango | La Plata | Colorado |
| Caprock Academy | K-12 | 2007 | Grand Junction | Mesa | Colorado |
| Colorado Calvert Academy | K-8 | 2010 | Denver | Larimer | Colorado |
| Colorado Springs Charter Academy | K-8 | 2005 | Colorado Springs | El Paso | Colorado |
| Colorado Springs Early Colleges | 9-12 | 2007 | Colorado Springs | El Paso | Colorado |
| Early College of Arvada | 6-12 | 2008 | Arvada | Adams | Colorado |
| GOAL Academy | 9-12 | 2008 | Pueblo | Pueblo | Colorado |
| High Point Academy | P-8 | 2006 | Aurora | Adams | Colorado |
| Pikes Peak Prep | K-12 | 2005 | Colorado Springs | El Paso | Colorado |
| Pinnacle Charter School | K-12 | 1997 | Federal Heights | Adams | Colorado |
| Provost Academy Colorado | 9-12 | 2010 | Greenwood Village | El Paso | Colorado |
| Ricardo Flores Magón Academy | K-8 | 2007 | Westminster | Adams | Colorado |
| Ross Montessori School | P-8 | 2005 | Carbondale | Garfield | Colorado |
| Scholars to Leaders Academy | K-8 | 2007 | Colorado Springs | El Paso | Colorado |
| Stone Creek Charter School | K-8 | 2006 | Avon | Eagle | Colorado |
| T.R. Paul Academy of Arts and Knowledge | K-8 | 2006 | Fort Collins | Larimer | Colorado |
| Thomas MacLaren School | 6-12 | 2009 | Colorado Springs | El Paso | Colorado |
| The Vanguard School | 7-12 | 2006 | Colorado Springs | El Paso | Colorado |