During a work/study session of the Jefferson County School Board on August 24, 2023, staff recommended closure of the Coal Creek Canyon K-8 middle school at the end of this school year, and of the elementary school at the end of next year. The school has conducted two public meetings regarding the recommendation, one on September 12 and another on September 21. The school is located at 11719 Ranch Elsie Road, Golden.

A public hearing will take place on Monday, October 2, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Coal Creek Canyon K-8 school. This is the time for community members to share their perspective on the recommendation directly with the Board of Education. The formal Board vote at the Jeffco Ed Center will take place on October 12 during the regular Board meeting.

Before the September 21 public meeting, Lisa Relou, Chief of Strategy & Communications for the district, wrote a letter to Coal Creek Canyon K-8 staff and families.

“Thank you for your continued engagement as the Board of Education considers the recommendation to close Coal Creek Canyon K-8. I recognize that this is a frustrating process and that the answers we are providing are not satisfying to the community. At the same time, I want to reiterate that district staff have worked to generate unique solutions for a unique community since our first meeting last spring.

“Hearing your desire to keep a school in the area to serve all families in the canyon, not just Jeffco families, we created a process by which we would consider a charter school for the area of any grade configuration (options could include PK-5, or PK-8 or PK-12) – which would be a more sustainable long-term option for this community. Working with interested charter schools, this community can proactively support sustaining education in the area, while at the same time, continuing to advocate for your community in the ROFTS Phase II process.

“We have considered your questions about charter schools that go beyond grade five. Should there be a viable charter option and should the Board vote to close the K-5 at the end of the 2024-25 school year, we will offer an opportunity for students in grades 6-8 to participate in the Jeffco Remote Learning Program (JRLP) - a synchronous online learning option - at the Coal Creek Canyon school next year. For more information go to https//Home - Jeffco Remote Learning Program (jeffcopublicschools.org).

“Going into our Community Conversation this week, we want to clarify a few questions that were asked last week. The Letter of Intent process serves a specific purpose.

“Its purpose is to inform the district staff’s recommendation concerning the exact timeline of the closure for grades K-5 at Coal Creek Canyon K-8. The closure timeline for grades 6-8 remains unchanged and will conclude at the end of the 2023-24 school year with a potential option for students in those grades to enroll in the JRLP program and participate in that program from the Coal Creek Canyon school.

“The letter of intent is just the initial step for charters to demonstrate whether they have a model that would be financially sustainable and would provide a quality education to students – what the district is calling ‘viable’ interest.

“The only factor that district staff is considering specifically for the Board’s October 12 vote is viability. Viability could come from one or multiple applicants. The only statement that will be made publicly by district staff is that there is or is not viable interest and how staff reached that conclusion.

“The Jeffco Board of Education has exclusive authority on charter authorization. That decision, while informed by staff and the District Accountability Committee, is made by a vote of the Board of Education in the spring/summer. Schools seeking authorization are expected to engage deeply with the communities they wish to serve. Through that engagement, schools typically seek to understand the community’s needs, concerns and aspirations as they craft a comprehensive charter school application.

“In the case of a school to serve the Coal Creek Canyon area, should schools apply through the authorization process, the Jeffco Board of Education will vote on authorization by June 2024 for a school to launch in the 2025-26 school year. This timeline and process is guided by state statute and district policies.

“All impacted students — whether in-district or choice-enrolled from Boulder or Gilpin — will receive a special priority in the Enroll-Jeffco choice enrollment process. Impacted students are those who are in grades K-7 the year the school closes. Current 8th graders or students who are not yet attending the school are not considered impacted and will not receive the ‘ROFTS’ priority in the choice enrollment process.

“The choice enrollment process is guided by district policy. The ‘ROFTS’ priority will be: students who reside in Jefferson County.”

The September 21 meeting included Dr. Tayo Adeeko, Executive Director of Charter Partnerships, who offered optional office hours from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the library to meet with community members about potential charter partners.

This was an opportunity for community members to meet in a one-on-one or small group office-hours format with Dr. Tayo Adeeko to ask individual questions or share what they hope to see in a charter school partner. This content was also covered in a whole group setting during the regularly scheduled community conversation from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the gym, which included an overview of the charter process, an overview of transition support for students in grades 6-8, and an open question and answer session.

“We are grateful for your engagement and participation. Thank you to Mr. Carroll and Ms. Long for their advocacy on behalf of the community. Our genuine hope is that there is a quality educational solution better positioned to meet the unique needs of this community for the long-term as Jeffco continues to experience declines in school-age populations in communities across the district.”

For more information, go to htps://www.jeffcopublicschools.org.