Charter Schools on Way; 3 Plan to Open This Fall in Springs Area
Posted on: Thursday, 12 January 2006, 21:00 CST
By SHARI CHANEY GRIFFIN THE GAZETTE
[CORRECTION: The schedule for informational meetings about Banning Lewis Ranch Academy was misstated. A meeting will be at 7 p.m. Jan. 18 at Gateway Church, 5605 N. Marksheffel Road. Parents can also get information from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 28 at the Woodmen Hills Community Center, 11720 Woodmen Hills Drive. Banning Lewis Ranch Academy is scheduled to open with classes for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The STAR Academy is moving forward with plans to open in the fall, but the D-11 school board has not approved a final contract with the school. Correction ran 1/ 10/2006.]
Construction has begun on Banning Lewis Ranch Academy near Woodmen and Marksheffel roads, and school officials are enrolling students for the charter school.
It's not the only charter school planning to open this fall.
Two others -- Rocky Mountain Classical Academy in Falcon and STAR Academy in Colorado Springs School District 11 -- also received approval from local school boards to open.
Organizers of Rocky Mountain Classical Academy are working to finalize a location, said spokeswoman Linda Stahnke. An enrollment lottery is set for the end of the month.
Similar to The Classical Academy in Academy School District 20, the school for students in kindergarten through eighth grade will use Core Knowledge curriculum and offer character education.
Core Knowledge requires students to learn specific information in each grade and builds each year on prior knowledge.
STAR Academy and Banning Lewis Ranch Academy will have similar curriculums, with students learning core subjects such as reading and math in the morning, then history, art, music and critical thinking in the afternoon, using Mosaica's Paragon curriculum.
Mosaica Education Inc. is the for-profit management company for both schools.
STAR Academy will focus on space and technology. Officials are looking at a site in the area of Platte Avenue and Wooten Road, said Terry Gogerty, Mosaica's director of business services.
In the first year, both schools will have classes for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, but will add a grade each year until they serve students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
Two other proposed charter schools -- Rolling Hills Charter Academy in Hanover School District 28 and Transition 2 Success in D- 11 -- didn't make the cut last year but are appealing to the State Board of Education, school officials said.
Once appeals have been filed, hearings will be held by the state agency.
A sixth proposed charter school withdrew its application before the D-11 school board voted, but was approved through the state Charter School Institute.
The Charter School Institute was created by the Legislature as a way for charter schools to be approved without approval from a local district.
Students enrolled in Colorado Distance and Electronic Learning Academy have a home-based curriculum using textbooks and electronic material. Students, with a computer provided by the school, can access the curriculum at any time and work at their own pace.
The school, with offices in Brighton, will offer classes to students in kindergarten through 12th grade.
Spokesman Peter Droege said a Web site will be up soon with more details.
CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0394 or schaney@gazette.com
FOR SCHOOL INFORMATION
How to enroll or get more information about three charter schools that plan to open in the fall:
Rocky Mountain Classical Academy in Falcon School District 49
HOW TO ENROLL: An enrollment lottery is set for the end of January. Enrollment information is on the school's Web site -- www.rmcad49.org.
Banning Lewis Ranch Academy in Falcon School District 49
HOW TO ENROLL: An enrollment lottery is set for February. Enrollment information can be found online at www.blracademy.org or by calling 494-8008 for more information. Information meetings will also be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19 and Feb. 1 at Gateway Church, 5605 N. Marksheffel Road.
STAR (Space, Technology and ARts) Academy in Colorado Springs School District 11
HOW TO ENROLL: Enrollment information can be found online at www.staracademycolorado.org.
Source: Gazette, The; Colorado Springs, Colo.
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