EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated to include a statement from Accel Schools.

Banning Lewis Academy is moving on from its charter school management organization and toward a more in-house operation.

The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment reported a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) letter on April 30 from Accel Schools to its 246 employees at Banning Lewis Academy (BLA). The letter stated that the school decided to terminate its relationship and that all separations would occur on June 30.

The WARN Act is a federal law passed in 1988 that requires employers with 100 or more employees to provide a 60-day notice of significant layoffs or closings.

In a statement provided to The Gazette, BLA’s board of directors said the decision to end the partnership was “part of a planned transition to greater local control of the school,” that operations wouldn’t be interrupted, and that its programming, services and activities would all be unaffected.

“Staff will be employed directly by Banning Lewis Academy, with additional support from experienced partners in areas such as human resources, finance, and operations,” the statement read. “This shift allows decisions to be made closer to the classroom, better supporting both students and educators.”

Accel Schools is a for-profit charter management organization (CMO) based in Ohio that operates over 100 charter and online schools throughout the country. According to its website, BLA is currently the only partnering school based in Colorado.

Representatives from Accel told the Gazette that they are the current employer of record for staff assigned to BLA and were required to issue the notice on the conclusion of their employees. The WARN notice affects 195 regular employees and 51 on-call or temporary employees, primarily substitute teachers.

Affected roles include teachers, administrators, student support staff, paraprofessionals, counselors, school operations staff, facilities staff, food service staff and other employees who support daily school operations. BLA has indicated that all affected employees are eligible to be rehired directly by the school.

“While we are disappointed by the decision, we respect that charter school boards periodically evaluate their operating models and make decisions they believe are in the best interest of their schools,” Accel Schools said in a statement.

“ACCEL has supported Banning Lewis for more than 10 years. During that time, the school expanded grade levels, increased enrollment, built a second campus, and navigated multiple leadership and board transitions. ACCEL has been proud to serve as a steady partner throughout a significant period of growth and change.”

Bill Knous, Senior Director of school quality and growth with the Colorado League of Charter Schools, said that CMOs can provide charters assistance with both operational and instructional functions. He said schools that operate multiple campuses, like Banning Lewis Academy, can especially benefit from CMOs by ensuring instructional alignment and efficiency when relying on refined approaches and programming.

“You don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time you have a big decision,” he said.

BLA is a charter school authorized by School District 49 that opened as a K-5 school in 2006 in its namesake neighborhood in northeast Colorado Springs. The school states that it offers “a blend of modern and traditional education programs” that includes research-based education and a variety of sports and other extracurricular activities. Student enrollment for the 2025-26 school year is more than 1,600.

Beginning in 2017, the charter opened its Preparatory Academy campus to offer secondary grades.

According to BLA’s amended budget for the 2026 fiscal year, the school allocated just over $2 million for Accel services, with $1.5 million going toward management fees.

BLA’s communications manager told The Gazette that the board of directors selected a new CMO after a request for proposal process was conducted last fall. A new provider was selected but withdrew in recent weeks, prompting the decision to employ staff directly.

They also noted that no employment offers have been made yet and that the board anticipates them to start going out on Friday, with open positions posted around the same time. It wasn’t specified if all the laid-off positions would return.

The board acknowledged concerns raised by the notice and said they are “actively working to extend employment opportunities for the upcoming school year.”

“This transition represents an important step forward for BLA,” the board said. “By increasing school-level autonomy and keeping more dollars in our classrooms, we are strengthening our ability to serve our community, support our staff, and ensure decisions reflect the needs of our students and families.

“We understand that change can be difficult, but we are confident this is the right move for the long-term success of our school community.”