Elizabeth School Board grants one-year extension to Independence Classical Academy with conditions

The Elizabeth School District Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday to grant Independence Classical Academy (ICA) a one‑year extension to its charter planning timeline and set conditions the charter must meet to open for the 2026–27 school year.

The extension was approved after more than an hour of public comment and district staff presentations. The resolution requires ICA to secure a temporary facility or demonstrate the Frontier Center is safe and usable, provide evidence of financial viability and grant or enrollment awards, and execute a charter contract by specified deadlines.

Board members said the extension is intended to protect district capacity as the community grows. Superintendent Dan Snowberger told the board that the district faces a projected increase in students in coming years and that a charter school capable of building on district land could help address capacity constraints. He said the district’s effort to help ICA was not about diverting resources from existing schools but about preparing for future enrollment growth.

Supporters who spoke during the public-comment period said ICA would provide a high-quality classical option and attract families who otherwise would send children out of district or homeschool. “Please approve the 1 year extension for ICA to start up next fall and give them the chance to offer an excellent school choice for those students who have enrolled,” said Nancy Wizzwell, a local resident who identified herself as having family roots in the county and who urged approval.

ICA board leaders described a recent setback that prompted their request: on March 25, ICA learned of roof damage at the Frontier Center, the site originally planned for the school, and ICA was asked to remove materials and vacate. “We received an email letting us know that there was a roofing problem, and ICA was restricted from using the Frontier Building, instructed to return our access badges and remove all of our materials,” ICA board chair Candy Putsch said. ICA asked that the board allow time to evaluate repair estimates and pursue temporary alternatives, including commercial leases or modular classrooms.

The board’s resolution attaches a set of deadlines and conditions, among them: - Execution of a charter contract by March 15, 2026. - ICA to provide evidence of a suitable temporary facility (lease or purchase), including square footage and estimated costs, by February 28, 2026; if no suitable facility is available, the district will make available the land behind Running Creek Elementary (RCE) for temporary modular placement. - ICA to show its temporary facility will meet occupancy requirements “within a reasonable time frame” by February 28, 2026, and to provide evidence of financial viability by April 30, 2026, including documentation of award or replacement of the Colorado Charter School Program (CCSP) grant and evidence of sufficient enrollment and a multiyear budget. - A stated long-term intent for the district to lease western‑side land to ICA under favorable terms (example in the resolution: a $1-per-year 30‑year ground lease) so ICA can establish a permanent facility on the district’s western side.

Board members then voted on the resolution. The roll call recorded Director Callahan, Director Fletcher, Director Olson, Director Powell and Director Waller voting Aye; the motion carried.

Opponents who spoke urged the board to deny or delay the extension. Lisa Beach, a parent and community member, urged a no vote and argued the district should not take on financial risk or prioritize opening a charter while reserves are small. “Financially, it does not make sense, not now or next year,” she said, criticizing the district’s fiscal position and the charter’s expected costs.

ICA leaders told the board they had invested funds through their education service provider and had hired a headmaster, but they said the roof issue and facility uncertainty required more time. ICA treasurer Ken Madsen said ICA expects to attract students both from within and outside the district and that modular temporary facilities are being explored, including moving modulars to the district’s Independence property or Running Creek backup space as stopgaps.

The board’s resolution frames the extension as conditional and time‑limited, not an unconditional admission: ICA must meet the listed facility, financial and contract milestones to keep the extension. The board said district staff and ICA leaders will jointly monitor progress and report to the board.

What’s next: ICA must provide the documentation and meet the deadlines listed in the resolution. The board said it expects to review progress and the charter contract as the timelines approach.