K-12 Special Notice- JA Coal Creek Canyon
We are thrilled to share the news that Jefferson Academy will be able to open Jefferson Academy Coal Creek Canyon (JACCC) in August 2024. At the March BOD meeting, the Jefferson Academy Board of Directors voted to move forward with the school.
Background
At the beginning of the school year, Jeffco faced the challenging decision to close CCCK8 due to low enrollment and budget concerns. To avert closure, the invitation was extended to charter schools to intervene and take on the responsibility of keeping the school open. Initially, JA did not respond to the request. However, following outreach to JA from both Jeffco Schools and the Colorado League of Charter Schools, JA decided to investigate the prospect of integrating CCCK8 into the JA family. After some research, the JA Board of Directors approved submitting a Charter Replication Application for the Coal Creek Canyon school which was subsequently approved by the Jeffco Board of Education.
A Collaborative Solution
A partnership between the Coal Creek Canyon community, Jefferson Academy (JA), and Jeffco Public Schools (Jeffco) helped bring this dream to life. After the Jeffco Board of Education voted to authorize JACCC on January 10, initial enrollment at JACCC was lower than expected, leading to a projected funding shortfall of $550,000. At its February 20 meeting, the JA Board agreed to make a final decision about its ability to run the program in Coal Creek Canyon on March 12.
The Coal Creek Canyon Welcoming Committee raised $74,000 to help cover the gap. Jeffco agreed to waive facility fees in the school’s first year and partially waive them in the second year to help establish JACCC. At the same time, JA secured additional grants to close the funding gap and support operations in the school’s first year.
We cannot say enough how important the support and enthusiasm among families, JA and Jeffco has been. Reaching this milestone was only possible due to the significant partnership and collaboration of many people. We are excited to move forward with the opening of a new school in Coal Creek Canyon.
