Yes! Charter Schools are Free

As we approach December, it's time for parents of students entering kindergarten as well as parents looking for different school options for their school age children to consider all the public school options in the St. Vrain Valley School District. Public school options for students in the St. Vrain Valley School District include:

• Each students' community school, which are determined by district boundaries and can be found by clicking here, Boundaries - Schools.
• Open enrolling in a school other than a student's community school. Students may apply to open enroll in a school between December 1 and January 15 of each year. For more information, check out Open Enrollment and More Open Enrollment policies.
• Alternative schools for high school students at Old Columbine High School (including Open Door and the Career Development Center), Adult Education (Adult Education is for students over the age of 17), and Universal High School at Silver Creek High School.
  
• Charter schools, which are public and free schools open to all students in a district. Admissions at most charter schools are done through a lottery process. St. Vrain Valley School District will have five charter schools in the 2009-2010 school year, many of which will begin taking intent to enroll forms for the lotteries beginning December 1 and require parents to attend an informational meeting. For more information about each school, visit Charter Schools.

Each child is unique and deserves an education that meets his or her needs. St. Vrain Valley School District continues to expand available options, but it's up to parents to help their children find the best educational fit. It's not to early to start planning for the next school year!