The Juniper School board is excited to be partnering with Durango School District 9-R to bring a charter elementary school to our community.
Our board has worked diligently, in collaboration with 9-R, to form a much-needed charter elementary school here in Durango. We are amazed at the amount of support the community has offered and are proud to be part of this exciting time in education. We have planned for an authentic, diverse and active school for the children and families in our community and are looking forward to a 2016-2017 school year opening.
We would like to thank the 9-R school board and Superintendent Dan Snowberger for their collaboration and support throughout our authorization process. The district is supportive of educational choice for our community and has clearly demonstrated this in the numerous meetings and collaborative conversations that led to The Juniper School’s successful authorization.
We are deeply grateful to our community for the ongoing feedback and outpouring of support over the last 11 months. The feedback given at the community listening sessions guided the direction and spirit of our charter application and has resulted in the development of a school that is in its truest sense, a product of the community. The support of the community has come in a variety of ways: in-kind donations, letters of support, ongoing feedback, attendance and testimony at 9-R school board meetings and continued communication with us by email, phone calls and in-person meetings.
The Juniper School has and will continue to benefit from the valuable resources offered by the Colorado League of Charter Schools. Additionally, our board has reached out to other successful charter elementary schools in the Four Corners region and beyond. The success of our endeavor has not occurred in a vacuum, but by utilizing a wide range of resources including those in our own community as well as experts, school administrators, teachers and others throughout the state and nation, sharing best practices.
The Juniper School is well-positioned to offer a sustainable charter elementary school in Durango starting in the fall of 2016. The Juniper School board, 9-R staff and our supporters all know with certainty that we have the right plan and the right implementation.
This additional year before opening will allow us to secure the right funding. This includes an important grant for any new charter school: the Colorado Public Charter Schools Startup and Implementation grant is funded by the Colorado Department of Education. This grant could provide $600,000 in start-up funds for The Juniper School over its first three years.
Additionally, the 9-R board has appropriately agreed to appoint some of the district’s mill levy funds to Juniper students, in addition to the per-pupil revenue that is a required state allocation to all public schools. Mill levy funds were approved by a community vote and endorsed by many, including public school teachers and local businesses, such as The Durango Herald, to support public education. The mill levy funds cannot just be given away. The Juniper School will qualify for these funds by offering small class size, innovative programming, 21st century learning with the use of technology and the ability to retain teachers through a robust health insurance plan. We have the unique opportunity to identify staff almost an entire year before our school opens its doors and will offer professional development beginning in January 2016.
The Juniper School board will continue to collaborate with 9-R and the CLCS with the goal of signing a contract no later than August. We have worked closely with 9-R and CLCS in developing our plan and providing a strong application. We have conferred with the league throughout this process, as it is the main statutory check and balance for charter school applications. While our application was only just approved, the planning of The Juniper School began in May 2014. The Juniper School is ready.
Our board will hold monthly community meetings to continue to inform our community about all aspects of The Juniper School, including curriculum, assessments, enrichment programs and enrollment, to name a few.
We will hold another open enrollment in January for prospective students. We will hold fundraising events and will keep in touch with the community through a variety of channels, including our website, Facebook page, e-newsletters and community information sessions. We look forward to ongoing conversations and support from those interested in taking this important next step in providing educational choice to the children of our community.
A heart-felt thank you to each and every one of you who has reached out to us in some way or has cheered us on quietly. We could not have done this without you!
Tammy Fraley is president of The Juniper School board of directors. Reach her at tlfraley@yahoo.com.
