When I moved to Southwest Colorado five years ago, I had some concerns about charter schools. I had accepted an AmeriCorps position to serve at Pagosa Peak Open School, a K-eight charter school that emphasizes project-based learning.
On one hand, the school seemed to align closely with my own values, such as small class sizes, interdisciplinary learning and hands-on, community-oriented programming. However, the only things I had ever heard about charter schools were negative, including that they take students and funding away from public schools in a community.
I decided to get educated about the issue and learned that, in fact, charter schools are tuition-free, public schools that receive state funding based on Per Pupil Revenue, a formula for each student enrolled, just like traditional public schools. Charter schools may not work for every community, but I believe that there is strong demand for Durango’s charters, and they fill an important niche: Choices that allow students and families to find the school that fits them best.
The big picture is that despite our state Legislature’s valiant efforts to avoid major budget cuts for K-12 education, all public schools need more state and federal funding, because we are all trying to do what is best for our students on limited budgets in a climate of rising costs. However, what is best for each student is not the same. Students in Durango have several great options for their schooling, and we should encourage them to weigh their choices wisely based on their goals, strengths and unique needs.
The first question I ask all of my incoming transfer students is: “Why did you make the choice to switch schools?” Most kids have a similar response: They weren’t getting what they needed at their old school, and they wanted a change. We also hear this sometimes from students who choose to leave Animas High School to transfer to Durango High School, Big Picture High School, GOAL Academy or Southwest eSchool. We often forget that the students themselves have agency in these choices. As young adults, I want my students to be empowered to seek the type of education that will help them to be as successful as possible in the paths that they choose to pursue.
Junior Maily Lancaster, who transferred to AHS her sophomore year, described what she values about her school choice: “Our school is exceptional with academic rigor. I feel that I have taken very hard classes that have pushed me further in learning than ever before. AHS has made me feel extremely welcomed and I can be myself. I have connected to my peers, teachers and the outdoors. I love being surrounded by people who are interested in my needs and being able to connect with them in and outside of the classroom.”
Kathy VanDelden is one of several AHS parents who moved to Durango in part because of our school. “Our daughter was in a phase of questioning everything about school: Why is this important? When will I ever use this? We were looking for something different that would answer these types of questions, challenge her, and inspire her to be motivated about learning. Our family is grateful that there is a choice to address the different approaches to education and to pick what suits our child the best.”
The factors that go into families and students choosing a charter school are just as diverse as they are, and have much less to do with concerns about school funding than with the profound challenges of raising well-rounded, well-educated human beings in an increasingly complex world. The impact of charter schools varies from community to community, and charter schools come in many shapes and sizes. In Durango, I believe we might all benefit from a collaborative approach to raising our kids as one community.
Madi Neukirch teaches chemistry at Animas High School and welcomes attendance at an “All School Exhibition” 5-7 p.m. Thursday, May 15, at 22 Osprey Way, to learn about the value of school choice in Durango. May 11-16 is National Charter School Week and AHS enrollment is now open for fall 2025.
