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This is an article published in our local paper, The Gazette, on Sunday, July 27, 2003. It gives a solid overview of the school options (Colorado Springs Public Schools, Colorado Springs Private Schools, Colorado Springs Home School Programs, and more!) available to students in Colorado Springs.

Colorado Springs Public Schools

Stop in any US neighborhood, and a public school is likely to be found at the hub of the community. Colorado Springs public schools, funded in Colorado through local and state taxes, are the education of choice for an estimated 80 percent of American families, according to the US Department of Education. Many schools offer preschool education as well as day-care services; school buildings are even rented out during non-school hours for community events or meetings. There are 17 public school districts in El Paso and Teller Counties. The schools range in size from about 100 students in kindergarten through 12th grade at the Edison School District (54 JT) to 32,000 students in preschool through 12th grade in Colorado Springs School District 11. Although all Colorado Springs public schools are required by state law to teach specific subjects, public schools are becoming more competitive by offering specialized programs in arts, language or technology to attract students. This concept of "magnet" schools was started 25 years ago as a way to promote voluntary integration, particularly in large urban districts. For more information regarding Colorado Springs public schools, visit any of the following websites:
The CO Department of Education
The US Department of Education

Open Enrollment

School Districts long have allowed students to attend schools outside boundaries by applying for a special permit. Before a state law was passed in 1990, however, a district could turn down requests. Now it must grant the request unless the school is full. The law, which was controversial in the 1990s, allows parents to send their children to any school they wish. Parents, however, are responsible for the student's transportation to and from school. The No Child Left Behind Act takes a further step, requiring that students in low-performing schools have the option of choosing a better school. Under the law, which President Bush signed into law in 2002, school districts must provide the transportation. Contact school districts for open enrollment information. Most require an application or permit to be submitted to transfer a student to another school.

Colorado Springs Private Schools

During the 2002-03 school year, there were 27 Colorado Springs private schools. Admissions requirements and tuition at these schools vary. Some Colorado Springs private schools require recommendation letters, essays or writing samples, placement tests and registration fees. Unlike public schools, transportation is not provided, and students typically pay fees for food or uniforms. Many private schools offer scholarships or financial aid. Private voucher programs, such as Colorado Springs' Parents Challenge, give scholarships to families who can't afford the tuition payments. Colorado's education voucher bill would give families a portion of students' per-pupil funding to attend the Colorado Springs private school of their choice. For more information, visit any of the following websites:
CO Department of Education List of Colorado Springs Private Schools
Association of CO Independent Schools
National Private School Association Group

Colorado Springs Home School

The numbers of home-schoolers has been rising in recent years in El Paso and Teller counties. Once considered an option for families who wanted to instill religious and moral beliefs into lessons, Colorado Springs home schools have gained popularity with secular families who aren't satisfied with public schools. About 2,600 students were registered home-schoolers in the past school year. Home schooling's popularity has resulted in a wealth of resources, from support groups and legal representation to websites and workshops. Some public schools have responded by offering free classes in subjects such as art, science or music that parents can't provide. Parents interested in home schooling must provide a letter of intent to home-school to any Colorado public school district office within 14 days of starting a program. Programs must include at least 172 days of instruction, with an average of four hours of instruction per day. Parents should keep records on attendance, test and evaluation results and immunizations. Because families can notify any school district of their letter of intent to home-school, local school district officials say they can't tract exactly how many students from each district are being taught at home. For more information, visit any of the following websites:
Colorado Springs Homeschool Support Group
Concerned Parents of Colorado
Christian Home Educators of Colorado
Homeschool Central
Homeschool Reporting

Charter Schools

Colorado Springs will have 14 charter schools this fall, attended by about 4,500 students. The charter school movement began when the first charter school law was passed by the Minnesota Legislature in 1991. By 1995, 19 states had charter school laws. The concept is this: free a public school from state and district rules and regulations, giving it a certain amount of money per student. The schools, like traditional public schools, can't charge tuition and are open to all students. Groups of parents, teachers or community members run each school as a semiautonomous school of choice within a school district. Each is operated under a contract between members of the charter school community and the school board. Anyone can apply for a public school charter. Charter schools must recruit enough students to make a school financially viable. In Colorado, charter schools range from large campuses with pre-kindergarten through 12th grade classes, to small schools located in strip malls with classes for elementary, middle or high school only. Charter programs also include online schools, such as the Connections Academy and the Colorado Virtual Academy. These programs provide lessons online, allowing children and parents to conduct classes at home. A licensed teacher helps guide parents through lessons via e-mail or telephone conferences. For more information, visit the following website:
CO Department of Education Charter School Information

Vouchers

The education voucher bill signed into law in April sets up the Colorado Opportunity Contract Pilot Program beginning during the 2004 school year. Districts will have one year to get their voucher systems in place. The law allows students in participating school districts to leave their school and use a voucher to attend a school of their choice. The law requires 11 school districts to offer vouchers but is open to all 178 districts with school board approval. In Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs School District 11 and Harrison School District 2 are required to offer vouchers because they have eight or more schools ranked "low" or "unsatisfactory" on the state's school accountability reports. The voucher dollar amount is 75 percent to 85 percent of each district's per-student operating revenue - $3,000 to $4,500, depending on the school district. This money goes from the district to the private or religious school via the parents. Students eligible for a voucher must be eligible for free or reduced lunch under the federal guidelines; score unsatisfactory on at least one CSAP or unsatisfactory on the 11th grade ACT; or if the child is in kindergarten through third grade, meet one or more of the at-risk factors for the preschool program; or live where the neighborhood school is classified as low or unsatisfactory. Private and religious schools must apply to the district to be accepted as voucher schools. A privately funded voucher program in Colorado Springs, called Parents Challenge, provides scholarships of up to $2,500 and grants of $500 for eligible students. Students can use the scholarships for private school tuition, and grants can be used for tutoring, books or other school-related materials. For more information, visit any of the following websites:
Parents Challenge
The CO Education Association Opinion

Alternative High Schools

Colorado Springs has nine alternative high school programs attended by about 1,300 students. These programs are an option for high school students who need more flexible schedules because of family or work responsibilities and for students at risk of dropping out of school or who are seeking nontraditional classes. Academy School District 20, Colorado Springs School District 11, Harrison School District 2, Fountain-Ft. Carson School District 8 and Widefield School District 3 have alternative high school programs. School programs can vary widely. For example, Tesla Education Opportunity Center in D-11 offers classes during the day, as well as parenting classes. Unlike some alternative programs that are held within the regular high school, classes at Tesla are held in a separate building recently built for the program. An evening program at Doherty High School called Success First provides classes from 4 to 9:45 p.m. weekly and is held at the regular high school.

        

      

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