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East Hills Academy presents classical K–8 charter plan, cites contingency budgets and grant pipeline
Summary
East Hills Academy told the board it plans a classical K–8 school focused on Core Knowledge and character education, seeks to start in southern District 11 (two enrollment scenarios: 88 or 48 students), and reported grant activity including a recent $2,000,000 application and a quarter-million award from the Colorado Schools Fund.
Dan (presenter identified in the application) and the East Hills team presented a charter application that emphasizes a classical curriculum, character education and a direct-instruction model. The group said it is prioritizing launch in the southern half of District 11 and described two opening scenarios: a K-only start with about 88 students or a K–3 launch with roughly 48–88 students depending on class composition and demand.
The presenters told the board they have been conducting real-estate searches but have not secured a site. They described outreach that produced 600 signatures of support, with 100 families of age-eligible children among them. The team said it has developed contingency budgets (including a lean scenario down to about 35 students), and listed fundraising commitments: a recent $2,000,000 grant submission to support a bus with a wheelchair lift and summer-air conditioning; a quarter-million dollar award from the Colorado Schools Fund with expectations for additional renewable funds over three years; and other grant and donation strategies to cover start-up costs.
Board members focused questions on special education and compliance (McKinney-Vento, gifted identification), staffing ratios, independent audit timing and transportation plans. The applicant said special-education staffing is budgeted in phases (special-education teacher additions in years 1, 3 and 5; paraprofessionals and stipended GT/ML positions), that DIBELS is expected to qualify for dyslexia screening under forthcoming rules, and that the contract negotiation phase would include enrollment metrics and other conditions if the board grants authorization.
District staff and the DAC gave the application broadly positive marks but noted technical questions in budget and staffing that the applicant should resolve in contract negotiations. The board concluded the discussion with an invitation to submit follow-up material and scheduled the item to return as an action item on the next agenda.
