Charter School Process

A charter school is a publicly funded school operated by a group of parents, teachers and/or community members.

The district's charter schools operate under a contract or charter, between the charter school Board of Directors and the Jeffco Public Schools Board of Education. The local charter school Board ensures student success through oversight of the school's educational program, financial planning and operational matters. The district provides support services for these Jeffco students while focusing on end results in student learning, fiscal management and other accountability requirements.

Jeffco Public Schools believes that charter schools strengthen our goal to provide high-quality educational choices for Jeffco families.

Letter of Intent

Letter of Intent for a Charter to Serve Students in Coal Creek Canyon - Fall 2023

Introduction and Background

Regional Opportunities for Thriving Schools (ROFTS) is Jeffco Public Schools’ response to the Board’s request for a comprehensive plan to ensure thriving schools and extraordinary student experiences across our district. 

On Thursday, October 12, 2023, the Board of Education voted to close Coal Creek Canyon K-8. The resolution included initiating an expedited charter application process specific to authorizing a charter school to locate and open in the Coal Creek Canyon K-8 building for the 2024-25 school year (pursuant to Policy LBD-R2). 

Timeline

  • August 24, 2023: Letter of intent requirements posted online
  • August 25–September 29, 2023: Submission window open to receive letters of intent
  • September 23, 2023: The district provided an update informing charter partners of the community’s preference for a charter option to open in August 2024
  • September 29, 2023: Letters of intent due
  • October 2-6, 2023: Jeffco reviewed letters of intent
  • October 6, 2023: Applicants were notified of the status of their submission.
  • October 12, 2023: Jeffco publishes expedited application for charter school to serve students in Coal Creek Canyon beginning in August 2023 
  • November 27, 2023: Expedited charter authorization application due
  • December 14, 2023: Board meeting, presentation from applicant, and public comment
  • December 22, 2023: Superintendent recommendation on charter application published
  • Spring 2024: Charter application window opens for schools proposing to open in the 2025-2026 school year
  • January 10, 2024: Board vote on authorization
  • June 2024: Jeffco Board of Education votes on new charter school applications proposing to open in the 2025-26 school year. 

Submission 

LETTERS OF INTENT

All submissions were due by 11:59 p.m. on September 29, unless charter schools negotiated an agreed-upon extension directly with the Executive Director of Charter Partnerships. 

Read the October 6, 2023 memo updating the Coal Creek Canyon community.

Submitted Letters of Intent

New School Application

All submissions are due by 5 p.m. on November 27, 2023. Applicants should submit a PDF of their application (or a link to a Google Drive folder with application materials) to [email protected]. 

The application and evaluation rubric can be found in district policy LBD-R2.

Applicants can reference the Application Completeness checklist as an aide for completing the application.


Charter School Procedure Manual

For more information about Jeffco charter school processes please refer to the Charter School Procedure Manual.

View a list of current Jeffco charter schools

New Charter School Application Process

Any group of parents, teachers and/or community members may develop a charter application. A minimum size is not defined in the charter school law. The school must be nonsectarian and non-home-based. Applications may not be submitted to convert an existing private school or non-public home-based educational program into a charter school.

As directed by district policy, letters of intent to submit an application for a new charter school must be submitted by February 1. Following the submission of a letter of intent, applicants may submit a full application by 4:30 p.m. on March 15, approximately 18 months prior to the charter school's anticipated opening. If March 15 is on a weekend or non-workday, the application is due the first workday following March 15. Applications not submitted by this deadline will not be considered. 

The Colorado Department of Education's website has additional information about the application process.

Pending Applications 2023

There are currently no pending applications.

Charter School Renewal

The Colorado Charter School Act stipulates that charter school operate under a contract agreed to by the authorizer's Board of Education (Jeffco) and each school's individual Board of Directors. The Jeffco Board votes on charter renewal on or before February 1 of the year in which the contract expires. 

Charter School Office

The district's Charter School Office acts as a liaison between approved charter schools and the school district. It assists charter schools with their interactions with the district, manages the negotiation of contracts and renewals of contracts, the delivery of purchased services to charter schools and the collection of required data and reports from the charter schools. The office also manages the new charter application process and provides the Board of Education with the information needed to make decisions relative to new applications.

Contact

The Charter School Office can be reached at [email protected] or 303-982-6805.

Omotayo Adeeko, PhD - Executive Director, Charter Partnerships, 303-982-1736

Sara Merkel – Executive Assistant, Charter Schools, 303-982-6611


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