Colorado League of Charter Schools

Our history leading to our future

The Colorado League of Charter Schools (referred herein as “the League”) is one of the oldest and most established charter school organizations (CSO) in the country. Established in 1994, the League was the third CSO to develop after the passage of the federal Charter Schools Act and formed just one year after the passage of the Colorado Charter Schools Act. 

Over the years, the League has helped create one of the nation’s strongest charter public school laws—consistently ranked in the top 10 in the U.S.—paving the way for continued growth and evolution of quality education throughout Colorado. The League has played a critical role in molding the climate for new charter public schools and shaping the overall operating environment for established charter public schools, as well as providing insight and support to the state’s public-school landscape.

Today, the League has expanded from its advocacy roots and offers an array of services designed to support Colorado’s charter public schools from the moment they first open their doors throughout every stage of their life cycle. Our team has led efforts involving a number of strong partners to make significant headway in legislative changes to support the growth of the charter sector.  Prior to COVID-19, the League’s work has resulted in:

• Average per pupil funding increasing by $1,827 per student from $6,652 to $8,479.
• All school districts with charter schools equitably sharing their mill levy override revenue with their authorized schools, and schools chartered by the Charter School Institute receiving $7M in equalization funding from the state.
• The Charter Capital Construction Fund increasing from $7M to ~$29M.
• Core charter autonomies maintained, state-mandated testing streamlined, and UIP reporting requirements for high-performing schools reduced.

Even in the new COVID-19 environment, the League is again poised to continue to build upon its strong history of bipartisan relationships and unwavering advocacy for school choice, the charter public school concept and most importantly, quality public education for all. The League has members from 90% of the 261 Colorado charter public schools, which in turn serve 125,000 students.

The League is a seeker and champion of both renown and innovative practices that support equitable student learning. Given the strong level of commitment to and experience within the education sector, many of its peers, including the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, look to the League to provide guidance and share expertise.