You have to wonder if some people are just oblivious to the advantages they have. A group of well-minded Boulder Valley School District parents want to split the district. You know, the same district that is a leader in per-pupil funding and has families sending kids into its district lines just to get a piece of some of the best education in the state. Apparently that’s not enough for some who feel an East and West split is in order to help curb the size of the district that educates 28,000 kids in 55 schools. Sure, it’s a big district, but when you have oodles of money, including a 2006 voter-approved bond worth nearly $300 million, you have to wonder why people want to mess with a good thing.

[What’s Next] School officials don’t seem motivated to explore the issue, but if proponents gather 22,000 signatures, they will force the issue to a future ballot.

July 2008

PUBLIC OPTIONS
Boulder Valley School District
www.bvsd.org
Apply: Nov. 26-Jan. 18, Approval: Feb. 6 & Feb. 28

St. Vrain Valley School District
www.stvrain.k12.co.us
Apply: Dec. 1-Jan. 15, Approval: Feb. 7

Adams 12 Five Star Schools
www.adams12.org
Apply: First round thru Jan. 15; second round ends March 15
Approval: First week of February for first round, first week of April for second.

Jefferson County School District
jeffco.k12.co.us
Apply: Jan. 8-Jan. 24, second round Feb. 16-Aug. 30
Approval: Feb. 15 for first round, mid-August for second round

PRIVATE OPTIONS
Year round enrollment unless otherwise noted

Alexander Dawson
K-12, Lafayette
Open house: Nov. 10
www.dawsonschool.org

Bixby School
PK-5, Boulder
www.bixbyschool.org

Boulder Country Day
PK-8, Boulder
www.bouldercountryday.org

Brideun Learning Communities
1-8, Lafayette
www.brideun.com

Bridge School
6-12, Boulder
Open houses: Every Tuesday
www.bridgeschoolboulder.org

Broomfield Academy
K-5, Broomfield
Open houses: Nov. 28, Jan. 30, Mar. 19
www.broomfieldacademy.com

Desiderata School
K-12, Longmont
www.desiderataschool.com

Friends’ School
PK-5, Boulder
Apply August thru October the year prior to school year
www.friendsschoolboulder.org

Hillside Learning Center
1-12, Boulder
www.hillsidelearning.org

Mountain Peak Private
PK-6, Longmont
www.mountainpeakschool.com

Rocky Mountain School for the Gifted & Creative
K-8, Boulder
Open houses: Nov. 13 and Dec. 6
www.rms.org

September School
9-12, Boulder
www.septemberschool.org

The Living School
PK-12, Boulder
www.livingschool.org

OTHER OPTIONS
Charter schools are public schools founded with a specific educational purpose, be it Core Knowledge, TAG, or an emphasis on the arts or math and science. Visit district websites for more: St. Vrain (www.stvrain.k12.co.us), Boulder Valley (www.bvsd.org), Adams 12 (www.adams12.org) and Jefferson County (www.jeffco.k12.co.us).

Waldorf
Waldorf schools believe that an arts-based educational process best serves the needs of a developing child, which include not only the mind, but the body and spirit as well. For information, visit: www.awsna.org.

Montessori
The Montessori approach to education permits children to learn through hands-on, self-directed projects, typically individually or in small groups. Classrooms are mixed-age, allowing students to learn from one another. More information about the Montessori philosophy can be found online at www.montessori.org.

Parochial
Catholic, Jewish, Evangelical, Baptist, Lutheran—whatever your faith, there’s probably a school for you. Well, as long as your religion has a large enough local following to support a private educational program.

November 2007

Not Everybody Loves Colorado's Open Enrollment

When Jarrod Phelps, a seven-year-old Adams 12 district resident, waits for the school bus each morning, dozens of other kids his age can be seen in the background, running around the playground of another school that is just steps from his home. (more…)

November 2007

Boulder Public Library, 303.441.3100 1000, Canyon Blvd, Boulder.

Carbon Valley Branch Library, 303.833.3510, 320 Maple St #B, Frederick.

Dacono Public Library, 303.833.2317 x129, 512 Cherry St, Dacono.

Mamie Dowd Eisenhower Public Library, 720.887.2300, 3 Community Park Rd, Broomfield.

Lorraine David Children’s Library, 303.828.5417, 625 Pierce St, Erie.

Lafayette Public Library, 303.665.5200 775, W Baseline Rd, Lafayette.

Longmont Public Library, 303.651.8470, 409 4th Ave, Longmont.

Louisville Public Library, 303.335.4849, 950 Spruce St, Louisville.

August 2007

Children’s Museum of Denver, 303.433.7444, 2121 Children’s Museum Dr, Denver, 0-8yrs.

Denver Art Museum, 720.913.0049, 100 W 14th Ave Pkwy, Denver.

Longmont Museum, 303.651.8374, 400 Quail Rd, Longmont.

WOW Children’s Museum, 303.604.2424, 110 N Harrison Rd, Lafayette,

Boulder Public Library, 303.441.3100, 1000 Canyon Blvd, Boulder,

Carbon Valley Branch Library, 303.833.3510, 320 Maple St #B, Frederick.

Dacono Public Library, 303.833.2317 x129, 512 Cherry St, Dacono.

Mamie Dowd Eisenhower Public Library, 720.887.2300, 3 Community Park Rd, Broomfield.

Lorraine David Children’s Library, 303.828.5417, 625 Pierce St, Erie.

Lafayette Public Library, 303.665.5200, 775 W Baseline Rd, Lafayette.

Longmont Public Library, 303.651.8470, 409 4th Ave, Longmont.

Louisville Public Library, 303.335.4849, 950 Spruce St, Louisville.

August 2007