AURORA | Declining enrollment rates and budget deficits are among the reasons why the Cherry Creek school board voted Monday to cancel the district’s charter school pact with Colorado Skies Academy Charter School.
Without any public discussion, the board unanimously voted against renewing the charter agreement.
Director Anne Egan spoke briefly before the vote, saying that there are concerns about the charter school’s finances and that they are unsure if the school will be viable through the rest of the school year. She added that the school did not have a plan to meet financial obligations.
According to district documents, the charter school has struggled to pay staff salaries and other core expenditures without relying on fundraising and grants.
Egan also mentioned that the school’s enrollment has continued to decline. At its peak, in October 2020, 236 students were enrolled in the charter school. In February 2024, only 105 students were enrolled, according to the district. Like public schools, charter schools receive per-pupil funding. They do not charge families for tuition, according to the Colorado Department of Education.
During the board meeting, charter school employees spoke against the board’s decision to not renew the contract. Christa Coryell, acting director of the school, said the district’s decision to approve only a one-year extension in 2023 made it difficult for the school to retain teachers and drove families away.
Two parents supported the board’s decision during public comment. Both said that the charter school’s leadership ignored their complaints against a science teacher the parents said retaliated against their child in school.
The charter school did not immediately respond to The Sentinel’s request for comment on Tuesday. However, according to the state, the school has 30 days to appeal to the State Board of Education.
The aerospace-focused middle school on the campus of the Centennial Airport has had a turbulent relationship with the district for years. Cherry Creek initially voted not to grant the academy a charter when it initially reached out to seek authorization, but was overruled by the Colorado state board of education.
The district ultimately granted the academy a four-year charter running through the summer of 2023 and said its goal was for the charter school to be “a successful school that ultimately reflects the high standards of the Cherry Creek School District.
The school opened in the fall of 2019 for sixth through eighth grade students, with students attending school in trailers and then online once the pandemic started. In the fall of 2020 it celebrated the grand opening of its $10 million permanent campus, which is adjacent to the Wings Over the Rockies Exploration of Flight exhibit on airport grounds.
The director responded to email inquiry from Tayler Shaw with comments and response to her email at 8:30 this morning Tuesday Feb 13th. It is not appreciated that the tone of this email says that CSA was not available for comment when they did and you chose not to include any information framing CSA’s side.
I have faced abuse from the science teacher and feel that changes need to be made.
Could you please provide some specific examples of the abuse? Committing defamation of someone and their reputation can be prosecuted through our laws. Unless you actually have serious allegations you should consider the consequences to such allegations if you don’t. Discipline based on your behavior as a student is not abuse so you should have serious examples of actual abuse.
This is incredibly inappropriate. This person, who I assume is associated with the school, is threatening a child and telling them they have to “prove” the abuse in a public domain. These comments require approval so I’m not sure why this comment was allowed. This poor child may still be a student at that school and now they must be terrified.
My apologies. I was not insinuating the abuse needed to be proved in a public forum. I was simply stating the fact that abuse is a serious allegation, abuse is a cruel and violent treatment of a person done repeatedly. Let me be clear I AM NOT AFFILIATED with this school. I am retired from education down south who left public school because as a teacher witnessing and experiencing abuse from children this age got to be too much. Children spit at teachers, throw desks at them, knock everything off their desks, threaten to stab their eye with a pencil, use language at teachers like the “C” word or “N” word and many more forms of colorful languages the teachers just have to take it. I had a colleague get punched in the face and had to go through extensive dental work. Teachers are physically attacked for taking away phones all the time. So I apologize. You are all correct. This student who is experiencing abuse like this should absolutely call Safe2Tell. My comment was never meant to be threatening only at the defense of teachers who have to endure abuse from their students on a daily basis. I hope this child is safe and can report their abuser and see that they are punished to the fullest extent.
https://safe2tell.org/
You can file an anonymous report.
Im back, thanks for the advice and help. I will fill out a report.
I am at a loss for what has been written in the article about this great school. Colorado Skies Academy has been the best school for our learner, it’s small, safe, welcoming and personal. Every staff member, past or present has been incredible on all levels. They teach the curriculum in the best way that fits how the students learn unlike the large school districts. Not all kids learn the same way, our learner has excelled at this school both educationally and socially making many new friends including the staff. This school needs to remain intact for the benefit of those attending and for those who would like to be apart of something special and a little different.
Did you really just threaten a child with a case of defamation, on a public forum? What happened to Safe2Tell? For your information… many students from your establishment have plenty of evidence of such behaviors. As well as evidence of administration ignoring parent concerns!
What? All of these posts sound like complaining children.
It saddens me to hear that another charter school will be closing its doors.
Charter schools are typically known for having smaller class sizes, making a more individualized learning environment for students to thrive in. However, if this school has a budget deficit that causes a lack of teachers and other resources then it seems that the thriving environment suffers, thereby removing one of its greatest benefits.
What’s very concerning is this comments section. I find it quite indicative of the attitude of the administration. I believe that if there were statements made and questions answered by the director, they should be made public. This could have been a place to make them, since they were omitted from the article.
A student makes a comment about their experience, and is blatantly attacked for it. You threaten them with the possibility of defamation prosecution. However, of the 23 US states and territories that have criminal defamation laws, the state of Colorado is not among them. Therefore, they cannot be prosecuted for it.
I learned a very long time ago that perception is truth. It won’t be your truth, because your perception is your truth.
If you meant that the student could be sued for their words, you should research common law which reads: “Statements of opinion cannot be regarded as defamatory as they are inherently non-falsifiable.”
I would not expect a 6th, 7th or 8th grade student to know this, especially as an adult you do not seem to know about them either. So implying that civil or criminal prosecution is even a possibility makes you a liar and a bully for trying to intimidate them. As you are a self declared educator, it is a clear example of abusing your power over a student.
Could attitudes like this be one of the reasons that enrollment is down to only 105 students? Even the president of this school’s board of directors has withdrawn their own child.
Makes me think that Cherry Creek made the right choice after all.
Based on Anonymous Educator’s 2/16/24 comments, I can understand why the charter was revoked. There is an utter lack of accountability from this “educator”. To assume that the child had disciplinary issues is completely inappropriate. To threaten defamation is even worse (Cori W explained this very well). Colorado Skies ignored previous complaints and to request “some specific examples of the abuse” in this format is highly unprofessional.
Wow. These comments are so troubling. This is the demise of our schools and our communities with troubling comments like this. First the article excludes comments from the schools director to cause tension as we are noticing in the comments. Next why or how is a middle schooler being brought on to comment on an article to make a comment like that? Did their parent put them up to it? Then an educator (could be from anywhere) obviously took offense to being accused as an abuser, which quite frankly is out of line. Then more parents chiming in to go after the educators accusing them as threatening a child on a public comment section!? Is this for real? I didn’t read it that way. These must be the 2 parents mentioned in the article that have worked towards the shut down of the school leaving 105 families broken hearted for their children who thrive in an environment that CSA offers middle school aged children. They offer a very unique style of education to these kids and now because of 2 kids and their parents raising a ruckus and tearing apart a great school we are left to read these yucky comments. Gross.
Sorry but it doesn’t sounds like a great school. More than half the families decided to pull their kids.
Isn’t it just one student? The article said two parents spoke about how their concerns for their child were ignored. I took that as Mom and Dad talking about their child. Either way, it says the student was retaliated against and now you’re saying they are responsible for tearing apart the school. Sounds like you’re victim blaming a child, which is super gross. Do better.
And if anyone is interested we have great schools in the Littleton public school district. My kids have been here since kindergarten and are now in high school. We’ve loved it and never had a problem.
The Sentinel is a great local news source and articles often have comments and discussion. Which can be spirited! I wouldn’t assume that you know the identities of anyone involved. I stumbled across this article because I like to keep up with local news organizations even though my kids are all grown. I like to chime in when I feel I have something to add.
Sounds like an unfortunate situation for all involved. Doesn’t make me miss this age with my kids. Best of luck to everyone.
I am a former student at CSA. I, my friends, and peers have all witnessed and experienced some form of bullying from this science teacher. I understand that not all students have the same experience, and in my own time at this school; I have had poor experiences with this science teacher, and the admin. These experiences have been so bad I have had to go to therapy and now have anxiety to talk to my teachers. I do feel that overall the school was good (During 6th-grade experiences I flourished in this hands-on curriculum), it just had one teacher who made things rough, and an admin team that ignored parents and students. While they would meet and listen, they would not truly hear our concerts by having no consequences for the teacher and allowing this teacher to continue those behaviors. I also can not believe that these heated comments have been over a student expressing abuse from this teacher, and an educator saying that something of that degree needs evidence. Evidence was brought to admin (by myself and my parents) and ignored. I want to give kudos to the student who spoke out, I’m very aware of how hard it can be; Because when I spoke up I was met with so much retaliation from the teacher that I am still in therapy to this day. I left with a failing grade in the classes this teacher taught and have gone to a new school, now thriving socially and academically with straight B’s.
There are two sides to every story and depending on how it is laid out, or who is telling the story, certain pieces may be left out or added. “Abuse,” “bully” are trigger words that can instigate reactions, coupled with the current state of the school may influence decisions affecting the fate of the 105 current and future students. Some of the comments here along with how the article is written, insinuates an unhealthy, administration/educator-leaning culture at SKIES Academy. Personally, our meetings have been managed thoroughly, fairly, and professionally. There was no retaliation afterward. The SKIES Academy’s hands-on teaching approach is unique. The science teacher is going beyond the classroom walls providing students opportunities to see the world, collaborate with other students and educators, and gain experience that textbooks cannot provide. What other middle schools have this program? We are hopeful an amicable resolution will keep its doors open for future generations.
I remember when I was in middle school. The teachers made you responsible for completing tasks and for not disrupting class while others were eager to learn. This teacher (known as a facilitator), is an amazing person and has set a high standard for their students (known as learners). The learners get upset when this facilitator calls attention to them or is disappointed in the work they have done. If that is “abuse”, then I guess I should have spoken up in all my education from middle school, through college. I have a learner going there now, he is thriving. The public really needs to learn the other side of this. You can not always trust what a middle school child has to say. I know for a fact that there is no abuse going on! It is just kids that have too many hormones and have never been treated like they need to actually take things seriously.
You fail to mention that you’re a current employee at the school.
https://coloradoskiesacademy.org/about/our-team/
What if you’re wrong? Would you be willing to tell one of these children to their face that you think they’re nothing more than a liar? One child in the comments says they are still seeing a therapist because of what happened to them at this school. How do you think that would make them feel if they knew this is what you actually thought about them. These may be children that trusted you and saw you as a safe adult.
Yes they would tell a student to there face there nothing more than a liar. Situation for me is still rough.
I find it extremely unprofessional and inappropriate for an educator (especially a member of a “care team”) to completely dismiss a learner’s grievance and to ASSUME that there is nothing going on but hormones. Unless you were witness at each classroom setting, there is no way you “know for a fact that there is no abuse going on”. To compare your past education to someone else’s current educational experience is also highly inappropriate and irrelevant. Along with declining enrollment rates and budget deficits, it would appear that certain educators take very defensive positions towards children (if they are willing to be this defensive in a public format, I cannot fathom what goes on privately). Not what I, as a parent, would expect from a person in charge a child’s education. When a child reports abuse (regardless of the situation), that child deserves to be heard, not dismissed out of hand.
My son is thriving at CSA socially and emotionally. We are so thankful to have found this incredible and unique middle school. It is such a tough age and to have found an environment where my son comes home happy at this age is priceless. The staff here are wonderful and know each and every student/learner personally. The science teacher goes above and beyond to offer her students opportunities to learn outside the classroom providing opportunities not found anywhere else in the state. All of the staff at CSA collaborates together to insure each learner is successful with their intense projects. We remain hopeful that the school can remain open for us and the other 105 family’s who see the value in this unique school.
It’s actually 104*
Our child is thriving at CSA! We were so fortunate to find a school with modern learning spaces with teacher-centered classrooms. CSA and its staff create engaging, safe, and fun environments. The project-based learning model is equipped with projects like a city in the sky, biosphere and flight. The school allows kids to learn in an interactive space that fosters curiosity, problem-solving, creativity, synergy, and critical-thinking skills. We are staying very hopeful that the school can remain open for our child who has grown to their fullest potential with the support of the staff and especially his science teacher!
I am so saddened to learn that this school may be closing! My twin boys have been dreaming of coming here since they were in 3rd grade. They are finally entering 6th grade next school year. We had our tour, got our acceptance letters and were extremely excited to start. I haven’t had the heart to share this with my boys yet, they are going to be so, so devastated.
AP- the district has released them, and they are applying to be authorized by an outside agency. So don’t tell your boys yet, they most likely will be authorized by CSI (charter school institute).
It’s a great school that is small, and can provide a great environment for kids who haven’t found their place at other schools. The hands on learning, STEM opportunities, and aerospace focus is what keeps kids engaged in middle school.
Its not perfect. They have many issues and a lot of kids have withdrawn. It has some qualities however, I would like to give some appreciation to the social studies and makery teacher but some like the science teacher can ruin the entire experience, It really depends how you are, She could be great with you or.. not. It’s a amazing concept for a school however the execution does have flaws.
We pulled our son out of this school after one semester. It was clear that the Administration was struggling on many fronts. The school has gone through so many leadership changes with no real explanation. Their handling of COVID was awful. This was after yet another head of school was brought in from another state who had no connection to what Colorado’s norms are. The concept of the school was terrific and we all had high hopes but the actual execution has been dismal. Our son was tested when he started back at an establish CC school and was found to be well below grade level in Math and Science. He has since caught up but his experience at Skies did him no favors. So in the End I can’t say I’m sorry to see it lose it’s accreditation. It clearly does not in my opinion live up to the Cherry Creek Curriculum.
I also think the school district did the right thing by pulling the charter. My son was there last year for seventh grade, but we pulled him earlier this year because this school is such a disaster. The behavior of the science teacher that others have mentioned is absolutely bizarre. She was also the math teacher but the kids were falling so far behind that they were forced to get a different teacher.
I also don’t think the administration has been honest with parents about what is happening at that school. They certainly were not truthful about the issues with the charter. This year the former head of the board took over as the director even though she has no experience in education and doesn’t have a license. She also employed her husband as the school’s handyman even though this was never a position there before. Unfortunately, it seems like this school has become a cash grab for this one family.
I agree with others that the concept of the school is great, but they absolutely do not offer what they advertise. We are a military family that moves a lot and my son is the youngest of five and this is by far the worst experience we ever had with a school. I would highly discourage other families from sending their kids there.