The Colorado State Board of Education overturned an Adams 14 decision to deny the opening of a University Prep charter elementary.
The State Board vote Wednesday was unanimous and requires the district to resume negotiations with University Prep to finalize a contract.
An attorney for Adams 14 had first argued that the State Board didn’t have jurisdiction to hear the appeal because it was a matter of contract negotiations, not a denial of a charter. The State Board unanimously dismissed that idea, after their own attorney said that the board has heard cases like this before.
Last December Adams 14 initially approved a charter proposal from University Prep, a charter operator with two schools in Denver. The proposed school in Commerce City would be an elementary school that would include free, full-day preschool. The school also would offer programming in Spanish to put students on a path to earn a Seal of Biliteracy.