Sherri Wright Board Member | Colorado Department of Education
At its May meeting, the Colorado State Board of Education confirmed a decision made by the Pueblo 60 School District not to renew the contract for Chavez/Huerta K-12 Preparatory Academy. This charter school has been operating in Pueblo for 24 years. The local school board initially voted against renewing the contract in January due to concerns over improper fiscal management and issues with timely and accurate financial documentation. Declining enrollment and increasing debt were also cited as reasons. The contract is set to expire on June 30.
Under state law, charter schools have the option to appeal local board decisions to the State Board of Education. In this case, state board members voted 7-1 in favor of supporting Pueblo 60’s decision, citing similar concerns about financial management at the charter school.
In other matters, the board approved updated innovation plans for two schools: Central Elementary in Adams 14 and Mitchell High School in Colorado Springs District 11. Both schools had received low performance ratings on the 2024 School Performance Framework.
Central Elementary has been under state accountability for nine years. In response to a “Priority Improvement” rating received in 2024, the board approved a proposal from the district to continue with an existing innovation plan that emphasizes high-quality instruction and community engagement.
Mitchell High School has faced six years of accountability measures. Following a “Turnaround” rating on the 2024 framework, an updated plan was approved that retains innovation status while introducing Instructional Empowerment as a new partial external management partner.
Additionally, several actions were taken by the state board:
- Reauthorization of Adams State University’s educator preparation program was granted in all areas except special education generalist, which requires further improvement.
- Conditional reauthorization was given to Colorado Christian University’s alternative teacher preparation program pending improvements.
- An extension was directed for public input on revisions to science standards focusing on climate literacy.
- Updates were approved for rulemaking concerning various educational regulations including at-risk count requirements and funding rules for private school students enrolled in public schools.
The Colorado Department of Education aims to create equitable educational environments across Colorado's school districts and BOCES by improving student outcomes and ensuring access to high-quality education.
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