Crestone Charter School does not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, ancestry, need for special education services, or any other grounds prohibited by law. Crestone Charter School serves students with disabilities and English Learners and provides services to students as required by state and federal law. Please see this Enrollment Process document for the complete and most up-to-date information but summarized on this webpage (below).
How to Apply
All pre-enrollment forms are due by 8:00 AM the second Wednesday in May for the following academic year. Students who apply after the deadline for the upcoming academic year will be added to the bottom of the waitlist. In the event that space is still available in a classroom after that date, applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Applications are not kept on file from year to year. If a family chooses to re-apply they must do so each year. CCS is not responsible to remind parents or guardians to apply.
Application Checklist for New Students
A complete application for new students includes:
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Parents and students tour the school and meet the Director
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A family receives, completes and submits a pre-enrollment form to the CCS office.
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Admission process occurs (outlined below)
Re-enrollment for Returning Students
A re-enrollment form will be sent to current students by the first week of April each year. Re-enrollment forms must be returned to CCS by Friday of the first week in May.
Lottery Process
Crestone Charter School offers highly individualized instruction. The class sizes are limited. If the number of applicants exceed the class limits, a lottery process is used and a wait list is instituted.
After enrollment is completed in May, if the number of applicants exceeds the enrollment openings for a given classroom, a lottery will be conducted at 8:00 a.m. on the second Thursday of May. A neutral third party will observe the lottery process.
For multiple birth applicants (twins, triplets, etc.) only one name will be entered in the lottery, and if that name is selected all siblings will be selected.
Applicants who are drawn in the lottery will be notified in writing and by phone no later than the Friday following the lottery and must accept or decline enrollment by a date specified in the notification letter.
Once the lottery is complete and the enrollment roster is finalized, remaining applicants will be placed on a waitlist for the applicable year only. The waitlist order is also determined by the lottery. Should space become available, the first person on the waitlist will be contacted by phone and the applicant will have five working days to accept or decline. If the applicant cannot be reached or declines an available slot, the applicant's name will be removed from the waitlist.
Class Size Determination
Early Elementary (K-1), Primary (2-3) and Intermediate (4-5) classrooms will ordinarily contain no more than 16 students per classroom. Middle School (6-8) will ordinarily contain no more than 24 students. High school (9-12) will ordinarily contain no more than 32 students.
The director can approve exceptions based on current student's individual needs for placement, including retention or advancement.
Enrollment and Lottery Ranked Priorities
The following is the ranked priority list:
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Currently enrolled students
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Children of full-time contracted employees
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Students returning from approved sabbatical
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Siblings or children of currently enrolled students or alumni
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Students who live within the district who have applied and not gained acceptance in the previous year. Priority within this ranking will be given to the students who have applied for the most consecutive years.
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Students who live within the district
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Out-of-district students
Students with Special Needs
Like all charter schools, Crestone Charter School is a public school. Crestone Charter School serves students with disabilities and English Learners and provides services to students as required by state and federal law. Charter schools are subject to all federal and state laws and constitutional provisions prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, ancestry, need for special education services, and certain other grounds. Laws applicable to students with disabilities include the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
In most cases, the services required by a student with disabilities can be provided at Crestone Charter School. In some cases, a student’s individual needs require that they be placed in a different program or location as determined by an IEP or Section 504 team. Under IDEA, students with disabilities are entitled to a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). The services a student requires under IDEA are described in an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Under Colorado law, the provision of FAPE and specific services required by a student’s IEP are a joint responsibility of the charter school (Crestone Charter School) and their authorizer, in most cases the local school district (Moffat Consolidated School District #2).
Applicants to Crestone Charter School are not required to identify whether the applicant has an IEP and the school admits students without considering a student’s disability. After a student with an IEP is initially enrolled in the school, an IEP team meeting may be required to determine whether this school is an appropriate placement for the student based on their needs. In most cases, the services required by a student’s IEP can be provided at Crestone Charter School. In some circumstances, a student’s individual needs require that they be placed in a different program or location. For more information on our programs and services please contact Crestone Charter School’s Director or Special Education provider found on the Crestone Charter School website, https://www.crestone-charter-school.org/administrators.