Montezuma-Cortez Re-1 School board treasurer Brian Demby voiced emphatic disapproval of the proposed Children\u2019s Kiva Montessori Charter School during a board meeting Tuesday night. He said the proposed charter school would be a \u201cstake in the heart\u201d to the district\u2019s already \u201ccreamed\u201d budget, adding that the school would create additional disadvantages to students across the district.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very against the charter school,\u201d Demby proclaimed. \u201cIt sounds rosy, but it\u2019s not rosy for the vast majority of our students. It\u2019s not a win-win situation.\u201d<\/p>\n
School superintendent Alex Carter presented the board with preliminary budget figures, revealing the charter school could potentially reduce the district\u2019s overall revenue by more than $200,000 in the first year alone. The lost revenue is equal to funding four new staff members, Carter added.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to reduce the number of teachers, counselors or nurses,\u201d Carter said.<\/p>\n
The already secured $567,000 Colorado Department of Education Start-up Grant would be used to help fund the charter school for three years. Charter school organizer Anna Cole argued that the alternative school choice would eventually help to raise the educational bar across the district, citing the true bottom line to education is student achievement.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to prove to the community that we would be a great asset,\u201d Cole said. \u201cThe charter school doesn\u2019t close any doors. We think it opens up a lot more doors.\u201d<\/p>\n
The school board must vote to approve or deny the pending charter school application by the end of the year. If they deny the application, Cole said she expects to appeal the decision to the Colorado Department of Education.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019d much rather work with the board than not,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
If the board votes to deny the application, Carter said the state would probably approve the application in the end, meaning the district could face even more lost revenues.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis charter school is inevitable,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The Children\u2019s Kiva Montessori School would serve 64 children in K-sixth grades in its first year. The school is expected to grow to include a middle school program and serve more than 100 students within three years.<\/p>\n