The St. Vrain Valley school board voted unanimously on Wednesday night to approve the renewal of Carbon Valley Academy’s charter, a kindergarten through eighth grade school in Frederick.
Due to declining enrollment and weakening finances, worsened by the pandemic, the renewal term was made for two years instead of the typical five, according to a memorandum sent from SVVSD Superintendent Don Haddad to the school board.
“While it appears you are doing a lot of work in the best interest of your students … you are autonomous but we (the board of education) are responsible for overall schools in the district, so we have to be looking at the numbers,” board Vice President Paula Pearis said Wednesday night. “I think this two-year contract is a good idea … so we can come back and have this conversation again sooner than later.”
Carbon Valley Academy, home to 191 students, has seen a steady decline in enrollment over the past five years, according to information included in the school board's agenda packet. However, reenrollment rates remain steady at around 80%.
The charter academy's funding has depended heavily on mill levy override dollars over the past few years, Haddad said. Recent changes to the rules governing those dollars now consider enrollment numbers to determine mill levy override allocation.
“Being small is more than simply being small, you really have to pay attention to the resources and the lack thereof because if you don’t grow your enrollment and you don't have that fund balance to call on, it can create a pretty dire situation,” he said. “With the economic downturn in Colorado, the loss of mill levy override dollars and the increased costs of operations, it’s just something that has to really be front and center.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused some of Carbon Valley Academy’s families to choose to enroll in SVVSD’s LaunchEd program, further exacerbating the school’s enrollment decline, according to a follow-up response by the school to the board. However, school officials are making efforts to encourage those families to return when concerns about the pandemic wane.
“We have had … conversations with families who started with (Carbon Valley Academy) this fall and who then, for various reasons, chose to leave and enroll in the online program of the district,” according to materials in the board agenda packet. “We continue to be in communication with all of these families, and have received some indications of returning to (Carbon Valley Academy) in the fall, absent new issues with COVID.”
The school board expressed further concerns about Carbon Valley Acadmey’s inconsistent school performance over the last four years as well as insufficient growth for students in elementary grades in reading and math and the lack of interscholastic sports program in middle school.
“This (the lack of sports options in middle school) was a conscious decision on the part of the founders of the school, and remains so under our current board of directors. Carbon Valley Academy is an academic-focused school, with an emphasis on character development,” stated the packet.
In addition, 95%t of parents report being satisfied with their child’s education and the operation of the school.
“While numbers don't lie, we may be small … but we’re doing really good things with our kids,” the school’s Executive Director Janet Wyatt said during Wednesday’s meeting.
The school plans to improve academic achievement by introducing STEAM elements as part of the main academic programming, creating a seamless transition between fifth and sixth grade and boosting iReady instruction for individualized skills for students in school or at home.
To boost enrollment numbers, the principal or executive director plans to visit local preschools and a 360 virtual tour has been posted on the school’s website and social media, according to the agenda packet information.
“I understand and share your concerns. Something we are looking at everyday is how to … manage those concerns against providing the best academic programming we can for the kids that we have in front of us every day as well,” Wyatt said.
