Founding board members of Grove Elementary, backed by leaders from Balswan Children’s Center, presented a public charter application to the Boulder Valley School District board Tuesday proposing a K–5 school designed to extend Balswan’s relationship‑based, social‑emotional approach into elementary grades.

In a 10‑minute applicant presentation, founders described the school as project‑based learning with universal‑design and embedded social‑emotional learning. “Inclusion for us isn’t defined as accepting people with identified differences — it’s about every single individual in the Grove community knowing who they are and knowing that they belong,” said Rebecca Hubbard, founding vice chair. The applicants told the board they expect interest from families across Broomfield and BVSD and emphasized community partnerships and a plan to cohort grades and staff to deliver differentiated supports.

The nut graf: board members and staff focused questions on three areas they said must be clarified before authorization — the school’s approach to special education under federal and state law and the district’s role as the local education agency (LEA); the start‑up budget and staffing assumptions (particularly wages and reliance on paraprofessionals); and where and how the school will secure facility space and separate public and private funding streams.

On special education, applicants said they plan to partner with BVSD under the standard “insurance” model that offsets related‑service costs; however the Grove team also described the school delivering tier‑1 inclusive supports and training general‑education teachers to provide embedded services. Sarah Simmons, a school psychologist and founding board member, said the school will use universal design and professional development so general‑education teachers can implement many supports in classrooms and to reduce reliance on pull‑out services. Board members pressed whether Grove would hire in‑house related‑services staff (SLP, OT, PT) or rely on BVSD; applicants said most related services would be provided through the LEA model and that the budget conservatively assumes district‑provided related services with a per‑pupil transfer to BVSD in early years.

Finance and facilities drew sustained scrutiny. Founders said growth would start with 60 children in year one and expand over time. Lynn Whitney, founding board treasurer (joining virtually), told the board the operating budget was conservative and that the team expected to improve teacher compensation or free some budget space once a facility plan is finalized; she said the Grove group had not counted on one‑time foundation grants in the base operating model. Board members asked for clearer proof of sustainable operating revenue, asked applicants to remove any dependency on uncertain grants from the baseline plan, and asked for more detail on health insurance, hiring and para staffing costs.

Founders described a capital plan that pairs a new elementary building with Balswan Children’s Center uses; applicants said early cost estimates show the elementary portion would represent more than a third but less than half of a proposed campus budget. The applicants said they are working with architects on a phased build so Grove could open with a smaller footprint while other construction continues. Board members asked how the public charter and the private preschool entities would keep funds and operations separate; applicants said the charter would be a separate legal and financial entity and asserted the campus fundraising would be structured to keep public and private dollars distinct.

Ending: Board members thanked the applicants and asked staff to include detailed budget sensitivity, special‑education service plans, staffing plans for the first three years and a concrete facilities/phasing/cost model with clearly separate public/private funding lines when the application returns for board action on Jan. 28.