American Academy at Castle Pines officially submitted its charter application to the Douglas County School District on August 20.  If approved, the school will be the sixth charter school in Douglas County and will open its doors in the fall of 2005.

The Douglas County School District has 75 days to respond, and American Academy expects a vote from the Board of Education no later than November 3.  The school’s founders, along with local supporters and prospective parents, will make an official presentation to the school board in October.

School founders are currently working with a local developer to secure a potential building location along the I-25 corridor near Castle Pines Parkway.  “We are thrilled at the prospect of this school site,” said Erin Kane, founding board member and CPN resident.  “This location would allow our school to be accessible to many areas within Douglas County.”  A temporary location is being sought for the first one or two school years, during the construction of the building.

American Academy at Castle Pines will feature the Core Knowledge curriculum, with an additional emphasis on math, science, and technology. The Core knowledge curriculum outlines specifically what material is covered in each grade to ensure comprehensive knowledge and reduce gaps and repetition.  The school will run on a traditional school year calendar with a slightly longer school day to incorporate homework time.  Students will learn positive character attributes including respect and discipline and, as in many charter schools, will wear a school uniform.

“If approved, this school will be a tremendous asset to our community,” said Master Association President Linda Nuzum.  “American Academy will offer another choice for area students, and we hope it will help relieve the school capacity pressure we are currently facing in Castle Pines.”  The new school plans to accept approximately 360 students the first year.

Interested parents can submit “intent to enroll” forms on the website at:  www.aacpcs.org.  “Completing the intent to enroll takes only a few minutes,” said Kane.  “It also shows the District that we have support for a new charter school in our community.”  Currently, the American Academy list has more than 270 students.