Charter schools are independently-operated, non-religious public schools founded by a group of parents, teachers and/or community leaders.

Charter schools must meet the same academic requirements and federal regulations as all traditional public schools and are also directly accountable to parents / guardians.

Charter schools are approved for operation by the local school district or a state authorizing board and function under a contract or "charter" with their authorizing body.

Under the terms of the approved contract, charter schools exchange increased autonomy for increased accountability. The philosophy and operation of a charter school are independent of the school district, reflecting the beliefs of the founding members. The charter operates with freedom from many of the local and state regulations that apply to traditional public schools.

NO TUITION is charged for attending a charter school. Charter school funding comes from state tax monies, grants and private donations.

Colorado charter schools are governed by the Colorado Department of Education. For more information, please visit the Colorado Department of Education website (www.cde.state.co.us/cdechart/faq.htm).

Classes will start Monday, July 30, 2007. School times are 7:45 A.M. – 3:00 P.M.

During our first year of operation (2007-2008 school year) we will serve Kindergarten - 7th grades. We plan to add a grade level each subsequent year until we are a K-12 institution.

No, Caprock does not charge tuition. As a publicly-funded school under Colorado law, charter schools operate from the same Per Pupil Revenue as any traditional public school.

For the first year, students will bring sack lunches and will eat in their classrooms. The program will be re-evaluated at the end of the first year of operation.

Transportation to and from school will be the families' responsibility; however, we will support a carpool program organized and run by families.

Social activities will be created by the organizations, like Parent Booster Club and Student council, in accordance with policy from Caprock Academy Board of Directors.

We plan to have two classes per grade in the primary levels, adding one class each year as needed.

Caprock Academy is dedicated to hiring passionate, highly qualified staff that fully support the vision of this school. To see a listing of the staff, please click here.

There is currently a playground committee that is looking into a design and budget for a "playground of dreams".

Core Knowledge is a solid, shared, specific, and sequenced core curriculum establishing strong foundations of knowledge grade by grade. You are invited to learn more from the Core Knowledge web site.

All curricula introduced into the Caprock Academy environment must:

• meet and further the vision and mission of the school
• meet or exceed Colorado educational standards
• be scientifically researched with proven results.

Yes, these are tenets of both Core Knowledge and a classical education.

We support extra-curricular activities because they have been shown to increase academic and social achievement. All programs offered through Caprock Academy will be sponsored by a parent(s) and a staff member(s).

We will strive to help students achieve mastery of subjects ahead of state standards. Students will accomplish more than peers in traditional settings over the same amount of time. We want to maximize the opportunities our students have for acquiring a strong foundation of knowledge early in their lives.

We anticipate having one passionate, certified teacher and one qualified educational assistant per approximately 25 students. Research has shown that academic achievement has less to do with the number of students per teacher and more to do with how passionate and qualified the teachers are.

All schools operating in Colorado are subject to the same standardized assessments. Our continued operation is contingent upon achieving acceptable testing scores. We will strive to exceed the state average in every area and at every level.

These are science questions that will be addressed through researching scientific theory. Faith is a personal and familial responsibility.

The intent is to provide an optional after-school abstinence program. Biology and health classes will address reproduction and health issues.

Religion class is part of a classical education as it studies religion as a part of history and culture. Faith is a personal and familial responsibility.

We are currently familiar with the Stanford and California Achievement tests and have taken or administered them yearly since she was in 3 rd grade. AIMSWEB is another evaluation tool for assessing skills for use in intervention/gifted and talented options during the regular class time and Goal hour. Curriculum embedded testing is another formal evaluation. Teacher observations are other tools used to assess a student’s skill set that is different from pen to paper testing and can offer another perspective on performance.

Yes, students will have 30 minutes of physical education daily. Weather permitting, this will take place outside in the open field areas.

As a classical Core Knowledge school, we intend to have music class at least twice a week. Goal hour is an opportunity for students to further explore a particular talent, provided the school has the right mentor for that talent.

The 2007-2008 program will not have a home-school strand.

All Caprock students will participate in assessments for use in the whole school Reading and Math program using Flexible Ability Grouping and any intervention programs needed.

Our current policy requires that a child be five years of age by September 1 of the current school year to enter Kindergarten. There are no requirements for entry as this would jeopardize our public charter.

The library will not be a separate room for the first three years. Great news though - a volunteer is compiling individual classroom libraries with books (identified from various classical booklists) donated from many families, libraries, and personal collections. There should be an email, via Constant Contact, about two months ago outlining the program.

Caprock Academy will have a mobile computer lab. The technology plan has six mobile laptop carts slated for intergal use in the classroom and for use of computer generated testing. The technology plan also includes a Smart Board for every classroom as well. We shall see what grants and donations will cover our plan.

Caprock Academy students will not need to pay for materials traditionally provided by public schools such as textbooks. Standard school supplies and fees normally associated with public school attendance are the only material costs for students. (Example: notebooks, extra-curricular activity fees)

Caprock will be on a Monday through Thursday school week as the founders wished to create a weekly schedule that allows for extra curricular adventures that require travel.

The staff and parents are encouraged to commit to a 98% average attendance rate. This goal is to better ensure a consistent message of a disciplined student and increases Caprock’s financial viability as per-pupil revenue is linked to attendance.

While there is not a single uniform requirement, there are colors and styles of clothing that must be worn to meet the dress code policy.

• Ladies Uniform and Dress Code
• Gentlemen's Uniform and Dress Code

Charter schools operate with increased autonomy in exchange for increased accountability. Charter schools are normally based on an educational philosophy absent or limited in the traditional public school setting. They have their own governing boards separate from the local board of education.

We will complete our status as a not-for-profit entity upon charter approval, as many charter schools in the start-up phase do. We would welcome legal assistance in this area.

The Board of Directors is comprised of seven members. Three are community at large (non-parental) and four parent members. Please see the Board of Directors section of this web site, or read the Governance section of the charter application for more detail.

As a public school, Caprock Academy is open to any student living in Mesa County Valley School District 51. However, final enrollment will be determined by a lottery process dependent upon the number of openings available. Families will be put on a waiting list and positions filled by lottery per federal grant guidelines. For further information, please see our Enrollment page.

There will be a lottery each year to fill vacant seats and to populate the kindergarten classes. Once students are enrolled, they will remain enrolled until the student leaves.

We feel it is important that all members of a family have the opportunity to attend Caprock Academy. If one student is selected, their siblings will have a preference for enrollment.

Enrollment is determined solely by lottery or sibling preference. Placement assessments will be conducted as in all public schools; however, an entrance exam is not a requirement for admittance.