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Board conditionally approves Honor Charter School — Marzano Academy application with milestones
Summary
The board approved the Honor Charter School (Marzano Academy) application on condition the applicant meet a set of milestones, including land purchase or facility verification and enrollment targets, before an anticipated August 2027 opening.
The El Paso County Colorado School District 49 Board of Education on July 10 conditionally approved the charter application for Honor Charter School — Marzano Academy, subject to a set of milestones the applicant must meet before opening.
Britney Brennan, District 49 charter school specialist, presented the application review and internal and DAC rubric scores; the application averaged 3.3 on a 1–4 scale across review categories. The board moved to approve the application with milestones attached.
Key conditions the applicant must meet include: purchase of land by Feb. 28, 2026, or verification of a viable facility if land purchase does not occur; letters of intent from families by Aug. 31, 2026; specific enrollment targets (75% by Jan. 1, 2027; 85% by March 1, 2027; and at least 94% by June 1, 2027, of the district's projected opening enrollment); a completed plan for PowerSchool integration with district student information systems by Jan. 1, 2027; submission of a food service plan by Jan. 1, 2027; and hiring a school leader by Jan. 1, 2027. The board also specified that the charter approval is conditional and subject to meeting the milestones in the stated timeline.
Superintendent Hiltz recommended approval and praised the application team as "one of the strongest application groups" he has encountered in his tenure, while noting that strong applications do not guarantee future operating performance. Board members expressed appreciation for the application detail and the Marzano model; questions focused on whether technical SIS integration and enrollment targets can be met. The board voted in favor.
The recorded roll call for the approval was unanimous among voting members present. The charter team was welcomed and advised to meet the milestones and continue collaboration with district staff.
