Four charter school applications were submitted to Colorado Springs School District 11 by the Friday deadline.

“The interest in becoming a partner with D-11 is extremely high this year,” said John Griego, D-11 charter school liaison. He said he couldn’t remember another time when so many charter applications were submitted, although it’s not uncommon for two to be submitted in the same year.

He said the district has a positive reputation when it comes to sharing resources with charters, including professional development.

Each of the proposed charter schools, Adventures in Learning Career Academies, Global Village Academy – Colorado Springs, James Irwin Charter Academy and Mountain Song Community School, proposes a different approach to learning. All applications must include evidence of local support, along with many other requirements, he said.

Mountain Song wants to open for students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade, and eventually add seventh and eighth grades. The school has pre-enrollment interest for more than 70 percent of almost every grade level, said Neah Douglas, founding board chair.

“It’s a holistic approach to education,” she said, adding that the concept is used in about 60 public schools across the country.

Adventures in Learning grew out of discussions that students need a school to that leads them to job success after high school, according to the group’s website. Graduates would work on associate’s degrees or technical certifications while seeking their diploma. Griego said the application was for sixth through 12th grades.

Harrison School District 2 has chartered a James Irwin school, and the application seeks to replicate the same education in District 11, Griego said. The proposal is for a school serving students in kindergarten through the fifth grade.

Global Village Academy would blend foreign language immersion and military traditions at the K-8 school, although organizers said it would open just through the fourth grade the first year.

All four charter school groups expressed an interest in Jefferson Elementary School, Griego said. The school closed in 2009, and the campus is near Constitution Avenue and North Circle Drive.

There are seven charter schools in District 11, the largest district in the region.

The most recent charter application was submitted three years ago. The D-11 school board approved Academy for Advanced and Creative Learning, and the school opened in 2010.

The school district and board has 90 days to review and make a decision on each application. Officials were expecting as many as five applications, so they sought an extension on that deadline, which was granted, Griego said.

The largest application by far, from Mountain Song, is more than 800 pages, he said.

The public is invited to review the applications and submit comments. Copies of each application will be available for viewing at the administration building, 1115 N. El Paso Street. Comments may also be shared at board meetings.

The school board may tackle the applications at a Nov. 7 work session. Decisions are not expected until the Dec. 12 board meeting.

—

Contact Kristina Iodice: 636-0162 Twitter @GazetteKristina Facebook Kristina Iodice