A popular Aurora charter school wants to lease the old Samsonite building in northeast Denver — solving its own capacity issues and providing a solution to overcrowding in Stapleton schools.
But a problem may exist, as the former luggage company headquarters is within Denver’s school boundaries. Denver Public Schools officials say Global Village Academy charter school must get approval from Denver’s school board before it can open a second school on the other side of the district line.
“Based upon Colorado law, I would fully expect Global Village Academy to seek the approval of DPS Board of Education prior to operating a charter school within the city and county of Denver,” said John Kechriotis, DPS chief attorney.
That is not the way it works, said Russ Caldwell, vice president of D.A. Davidson and the investment banker who has worked on the financing of the building that is about 4 miles east of Stapleton, north of Interstate 70.
“I don’t believe DPS consent is required,” Caldwell said. “Global Village is a good school. Either the bureaucracy is dead set for a solution or it’s not telling us the truth.”
The Samsonite building, which had a $14 million makeover to turn it into a school, was most recently the home to the Amandla charter school and Challenges, Choices and Images charter school — programs that have shut down because of financial and academic problems.
In a meeting last week in Stapleton, parents seeking solutions for the neighborhood’s crowded elementary schools asked about the possibilities for starting a school in the empty Samsonite building.
What the parents did not know is a deal was already in the works for a new Global Village Academy — a charter school that immerses children in Chinese, French or Spanish.
The school has operated for two years in Aurora, in a 44,000-square-foot building on Airport Boulevard. This year it has 550 students, with 400 more on waiting lists.
Denver’s school board last spring denied a charter application by Global Village Academy. “The likelihood the board would approve their chartering with another district is close to zero,” Denver superintendent Tom Boasberg said.
The board did approve the Denver Language School — a similar-style language immersion charter school that will open in 2010 in north-central Denver.
Global Village Academy principal Christina Burton says her school will not be in competition with the Denver Language School.
“We are trying to solve a real problem,” Burton said. “We are at capacity. We don’t want to lose our students. We just need more space.”
The problem for DPS is that the school would likely pull away Denver students, particularly in Stapleton.
Burton said if Denver decides to eliminate the 3-year-old preschool program at the Stapleton schools, Global Village Academy could start a program in the new building.
“Denver authorized two charters in Aurora,” said Jim Griffin, president of the Colorado League of Charter Schools. “I just wish this could be sorted out on the educational quality for the kids, rather than sovereignty of getting approval.”
Jeremy P. Meyer: 303-954-1367 or jpmeyer@denverpost.com
