Charter School’s east campus expands

Lincoln Charter School’s Denver campus will expand into a high school next year with the starting of a ninth grade. The school already has a high school in the west. Jenny Walling / LTN Photo

DENVER — Eighth-graders at the Lincoln Charter School’s Denver campus can look forward to another year in the same school with the same teachers.
For the first time, the east campus will offer ninth grade to its students.
“This is the first time it’s feasible,” said Dave Machado, principal of the school. “This is the first time we’ve had a full eighth-grade class.”
According to the school’s high school committee, 19 eighth-grade students have committed to staying in the school next year, and there have been over 500 hits on the Web site dedicated to the high school.
“We’re going to do this right,” said Dan Cronin, chairman of the high school committee. “We from day one said we will not start a high school with 10 kids.”
Each year the charter school board will vote on whether to expand the high school another grade.
The school already has a high school located on 27 West, which will have it’s first graduating class next year.
Many parents think one high school is enough for now and are unhappy with the charter school board’s decision.
“I think they’re jumping the gun,” said Kathy Auten, the parent of 10th-grade student.
“A small handful of parents, some are board members, they’re bound and determined they’ll have a ninth grade.”
Les Canipe, president of the charter school board, says a large majority support having a high school at each campus.
“I think it’s the right thing to do,” said Lynne Prunier, a sixth, seventh and eighth-grade teacher. “We need the high school to finish the program.”
Next year, every middle school teacher will take on one ninth-grade class.
Some students are excited about seeing their teachers for another year. Others aren’t too sure about the idea.
“Some of them I would rather not have, to be perfectly honest,” said Samantha Tesi, an eighth-grader.
She added that most of her teachers are “awesome.”
If the charter school had not added a ninth grade, most eighth-grade students planned to attend North Lincoln High School or East Lincoln High School rather than the west campus of the charter school.
“(My parents) don’t want to drive that far,” said Samantha. “They said they want a school near me so they can be involved.”
The east campus will outgrow it’s facility in a matter of years, said Machado.
For now, the ninth grade will take up an extra classroom that’s currently being used as a workroom.
“You’re talking about putting ninth grades in where first-graders and kindergartners are,” said Auten.
Many parents and students are willing to do that in order to stay in a small school.
A small school environment promotes individual attention and high expectations, said Canipe.
“All the teachers know me, and they know I can do well, so they’ll push me harder,” said Michael Jennings, an eighth-grade student.
The size of the school also makes it easier for students to be involved in extra-curricular activities and play on sports teams.“It’s a small school where an average kid can don the colors of his people and represent them,” said Cronin. by Sarah Grano