Relations with District Charter Schools: LBD

The Superintendent supports efforts by parents/guardians, teachers or other persons or organizations interested in establishing district charter schools wihin the district. 27J gives greater consideration to charter applicants who apply with our mission in mind; “In partnership with our families and the community, 27J Schools empowers every student today to take control of their future tomorrow”. Therefore we prioritize applicants who:

●     Have strong community interest and a local board from the community in which they intend to serve;

●     Create safe spaces for every student in our 27J community;

●     Have a robust financial and facility plan;

●     Expand learning opportunities for all students, including those identified as academically low-achieving;

●     Encourage diverse approaches to learning using different, proven or innovative teaching methods;

●     Provide parents/guardians and students with expanded choices in the type of educational opportunities that are available within the public school system;

●     Encourage parental and community involvement with public schools.

A district charter school is a public, nonsectarian, nonreligious, non-home-based school which operates within the school district and is accountable to the district’s Board of Education. It is subject to all federal and state laws and constitutional provisions prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital or family status, national origin, religion, ancestry, age, genetic information, need for special education services, or conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth. A district charter school has standing to sue and be sued in its own name for the enforcement of any contract it is authorized by law to enter into.

 Enrollment is open to any child who resides within the school district or in contiguous school districts and who meets the criteria in the district charter application. However no district charter school is required to make alterations in the structure of its facility or the arrangement or function of rooms within the facility except as may be required by state or federal law. The majority of the district charter school’s students, other than online students, must reside in the school district or in contiguous school districts. Students participating in any online program offered by the district charter school are not required to reside in the district or contiguous districts and there is no restriction on the number of online students that may enroll in any online program offered by the district charter school. A district charter school will not charge tuition except as otherwise provided by law.

 Each district charter school is governed by its own governing body in a manner agreed to by the district charter school applicant and the Board. An approved district charter application will serve as the basis for negotiating a contract between the district charter school and the Board. The contract must reflect all agreements between the district and the district charter school including the waiver of local district policies and the waiver of statutory requirements or rules by the State Board of Education.

 A district charter school must comply with all the state financial and budget rules, regulations, and financial reporting requirements with which the school district is required to comply.

 A district charter school is responsible for its own operation including but not limited to the preparation of a budget, contracting for services, and personnel matters. Services for which a district charter school contracts with the school district will be negotiated and provided at district cost. No rent will be charged for use of district facilities that may be available for the district charter school. Any moneys received by a district charter school from any source that remain at the end of any budget year will remain in the district charter school account for use by the district charter school in subsequent years.

 A district charter school may offer any educational program that may be offered by a school district, including an online program, unless expressly prohibited by its district charter or by state law.

If the Board approves a district charter school’s application, a district charter school will use the fiscal year, July 1 to June 30, following the submission of their charter application as a planning year. A district charter school will begin in the fall of the fiscal year following the planning year, unless the Board and applicant agree on an alternate starting date.

 A new district charter, if approved, must be granted for a minimum of four academic years. Renewal of a district charter must be for specified periods of time.

Adopted: Adopted: October 25, 1994

Revised: January 2011

Revised: January 2015

Revised: February 14, 2025

LEGAL REFS.:  42 U.S.C. 2000ff et seq. (Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008)

C.R.S. 13-80-103.9 (liability for failure to perform an education employment required background check)

C.R.S. 19-2-402 (3)(c) (charter schools pay the proportionate share of educational expense of students in juvenile detention facilities)

C.R.S. 22-2-119 (inquiries prior to hiring)

C.R.S. 22-30.5-101 et seq. (Charter Schools Act)

C.R.S. 22-30.5-110 (1.3) (district must adopt procedures and timelines for the charter renewal process)

C.R.S. 22-30.5-107 (2) (charter school shall begin after a planning year, which shall be the next fiscal year following submission of charter application)

C.R.S. 22-30.5-110 (6) (district must adopt procedures for closing a charter)

C.R.S. 22-30.5-701 et seq. (Charter School Emergency Powers Act)

C.R.S. 22-32-109 (1)(pp) (district must annually distribute to district charter schools informational materials relating to federal student loan repayment programs and student loan forgiveness programs)

C.R.S. 22-32-120 (5) (district charter school may apply to the Colorado Department of Education for authorization as a school food authority)

C.R.S. 22-32-124 (pursuant to section 104 of the Charter Schools Act, all decisions regarding the planning, siting, and inspection of charter schools must be made in accordance with the same statute that applies to school districts)

1 CCR 301-88 (State Board of Education’s rules establishing guiding principles for charter schools and charter school authorizers)