Opinion Regarding Proposed Charter School

To The Editor:

Estes Park residents, and especially the Estes Park School District (EPSD) Board of Trustees, must be leery of strangers with promises of a better education for the town’s public-school students. The Loveland Charter School-Estes Valley (LCS-EV) is nothing more than a Trojan Horse that could very well cause irreparable damage to the school district and the town.

A committee of the EPSD, the District Advisory and Accountability Committee (DAAC), was charged with reviewing the LCS-EV charter application and report what the committee deemed as strengths, concerns, and questions to the EPSD Trustees. The report is also available for public review.

Apparently, the committee was not obligated to provide the school board with a recommendation as to approve or not approve the LCS-EV application, and it chose not to do so.

However, after reading the committee’s 18-page report it is clear that the EPSD Board of Trustees should not approve the application. The report is laced with concerns and questions regarding the LCS-EV’s ability to meet the needs of Estes Park students. Listed below are just a few areas of concern that begs the question, does Estes Park really need this?

Even under the heading “Strengths” the report states that Loveland Charter School’s policies are “basically compliant with state and federal laws,” that the “application has a general understanding of special education services,” and the policies “show a general understanding of discipline procedures of special education students.” Basically compliant, and general understanding does not give one a sense of confidence that the LCS-EV is up to the task of providing a quality educational experience.

Meeting the needs of English Language Learners (ELL) and Special Education (SpEd)students is a serious issue. The report states that LCS-EV “does not convey a sense of inclusion by these students and families.” It further states that “EPSD will provide for ELL and SpEd and other special population services.”

The EPSD will also take a financial hit with each student who leaves for LCSEV. According to EPSD Superintendent Ruby Bode, declining enrollment would not only result in a loss of funding but could also result in staff reductions and possibly supplemental enrichment programs or extra-curricular activities.

Estes Park voters get to elect their local school board members and hold those members accountable for how they govern the district. You do not have that choice with the LCS-EV whose board members are not elected by the public but are appointed. The EPSD will meet on February 27th and will vote to either approve or not to approve the LCS-EV charter application. Please contact your school board of trustees and let them know if you want that charter school in your town and let them know how you will be voting in the next school board election.

Very few institutions serve as a lifeline to a community like the local school. The LCS-EV has the potential to sever that lifeline.

Please take a few minutes to read the District Advisory and Accountability Report at www.estesschools.org/cms/lib/co019007 28/centricity/domain/363/daac%20lcsev%20boe%20report.pdf.

Ken Zornes