Page 3 - The Castle Pnes Connection OCT 2008

Prior to the Lagae Ranch re-zoning public hearing in late August, a letter distributed by the Douglas County School District (DCSD) brought attention to the seri- ous overcrowding issues that currently exist in Castle Pines North (CPN) area schools.
The letter, distributed via e-mail to parents with chil- dren at Buffalo Ridge Elementary (BRE), Timber Trail Elementary (TTE) and Rocky Heights Middle School (RHMS), listed the “possible impact” of the Lagae Ranch development as “busing children out of the community.” The letter also stated the BRE would go on a four-track schedule in the “near future.”
The Connection recently interviewed DCSD Chief Operating Officer Steve Herzog to determine the
D i s t r i c t ’s p o t e n t i a l s o l u t i o n s f o r e l i m i n a t i n g o v e r c r o w d - ing in CPN schools.
Will BRE go on a four-track calendar?
Herzog says BRE needs between 580 and 600 children before going on a four-track schedule. According to the DCSD web site, enrollment at BRE is 562 students as of August 8.
“Next year, if Buffalo Ridge is at 580 children it would still be two years before we could get something built,” Herzog said. “Our dilemma is that we are land poor in this area.”
Currently, the DCSD has two school site locations in the CPN area. The DCSD will not use the Hidden Pointe school site due to the close proximity to the Xcel power line corridor. The DCSD also owns a 25-
Douglas County School District Calls for Mill Levy by Lisa Crockett
Douglas County School District is looking for much- needed funds and is asking voters to bolster their bank accounts by approving a four mill increase in the upcoming election. In August, the School Board decided to place a $395 million bond and $17 million override measure on the November ballot.
The override measure, which will be called“3A”on the ballot, will provide funding for student achievement improvement, work force recruitment and retention, improvements for technology at all schools and neces- sary means to respond to continued student enrollment growth. The bond issue, which will be called “3B” on the ballot, will provide funding for the construction of 10 new elementary schools, renovations and repairs to existing buildings and improvements to the District’s technology infrastructure.
In a letter to the Douglas County community, School Superintendent Jim Christensen asked for support of the measures.
“Our goal is for 100% of DCSD graduates to be pre- pared for college or the workforce,” he stated. “We must maintain student achievement, improve technol- ogy, and continue to provide opportunities for all stu- dents. Additional resources are necessary to accomplish these goals.”
The District made its decision to call for the fund- ing increase after careful consideration of how voters would react. Voters approved bond measures in 2003 and 2006.
“We are one of this community’s most valuable assets – providing a positive impact on home values, ensuring students achieve, and preparing a future generation to give back and lead,” stated Christensen.
Learn more at www.dcsdk12.org.
acre school site in Castle Pines Village near Santa Fe Boulevard.
Could the DCSD put an elementary school on the site in Castle Pines Village? Herzog says the site is slated for a future middle school. “We hate to use this site for an elementary school; it is hard to get large amounts of land.” DCSD middle schools house 1,050 students and need ball fields.
In 2005, the DCSD moved sixth graders at both TTE and BRE to RHMS in an effort to reduce overcrowd- ing issues in the elementary schools. BRE went from four-track in 2005 to a traditional calendar schedule. Now, three years later, Rocky Heights has more than 1,200 students.
“Right now, Buffalo Ridge will most likely go four- track,” said Herzog. “I don’t know what the impact of American Academy will be on the community, but we hope that the school will take 20 percent of the kids.”
American Academy, a K-8 public charter school, plans to return home to CPN in 2009 and is building a new 83,000 square foot facility on the Lagae Ranch develop- ment.(ReadmoreaboutAmericanAcademyandtheenroll- ment process to the right.)
Will children be bused out of CPN and sent to other schools?
According to Herzog, if a school has more than 830 children, the DCSD will look seriously at “overflow busing.”
(Continued on page 26)
Page 3
www.cpnhoa.org
Academy
by Terri Wiebold
American Academy, a K-8 public charter school, will return home to CPN in the fall of 2009. The school
is building an 83,000 square foot facility on the Lagae Ranch development in CPN. Local CPN students interested in attending the new school will now get more priority in the enrollment lottery, thanks to the school’s recently adopted policy.
American Academy enrolls using a lottery system. Last June, the American Academy board of directors agreed, as part of its charter contract renewal with the Douglas County School District, to give residents of CPN an extra “weight” or priority in the lottery as a way to help alleviate current overcrowding in CPN schools (see related school overcrowding article this page).
Essentially, each student who enrolls at the school will be given one entry (or ball) in the lottery. Residents of CPN will automatically receive an additional entry or ball in the lottery, doubling the chances of being select- ed. Students on the waiting list in a previous year who were not selected will also receive an additional ball. Finally, those who signed a “letter of intent” prior to A m e r i c a n A c a d e m y ’s f i n a l c h a r t e r a p p l i c a t i o n s u b m i t t a l on October 5, 2005, will also receive an additional ball in the lottery.
On average, two out of every three names selected to attend the new school will be CPN residents. The deadline for enrollment applications is midnight, January 31, 2009. American Academy will hold the lottery on February 1, 2009. To obtain an application, gotowww.americanacademyk8.organdclickonenrollment. (Continued on page 27)
School Overcrowding in CPN -
How the School District Plans to Solve the Problem by Lane Roberts
CPN Residents Get
Priority at American