D49 School Board Meets Tonight to Address Emergency Online School Transfers
District 49's school board meets tonight, Thursday October 8, at 6:30 p.m. at the Creekside Success Center (3850 Pony Tracks Drive). The meeting runs through approximately 9:30 p.m. One of the central items on the agenda is the district's ongoing management of four multi-district online schools it's been authorized to oversee on an emergency basis.
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Advertise hereBackground: The ERBOCES Dissolution
Earlier this year, ERBOCES โ the East Rios Boces educational cooperative โ began dissolving after losing most of its member districts. The dissolution left four multi-district online programs, collectively serving approximately 4,700 students, without a stable authorizer.
On August 19, the Colorado State Board of Education approved an emergency authorization for D49 to oversee these four programs through the 2026-27 school year:
- Colorado Preparatory Academy (elementary, middle, and high school)
- Pikes Peak Online School
- Colorado Summit Connections Academy
- Williamsburg Learning Leadership Academy of Colorado
Fewer than 500 of the roughly 4,700 enrolled students live within D49's geographic boundaries. The rest come from across the region.
What D49 Has Said
D49 Superintendent Peter Hilts has been direct about the district's position: it is not planning to permanently take on these schools. The emergency authorization runs through the end of the 2026-27 school year, at which point each school will need to have identified its own authorizer through the Colorado Department of Education's standard process. D49 has said it's actively helping the schools work through that transition.
ERBOCES is formally scheduled to complete its dissolution by June 30, 2027.
Other D49 Reminders This Week
Parents with students in District 49 should also note: parent-teacher conferences are tomorrow, Friday October 9. Fall break begins Monday, October 12 and runs through October 23. D49's full calendar is available at d49.org.
What's Next
Tonight's board meeting is open to the public. If you want to follow D49's decisions on the online school situation or any other board action, the district publishes meeting agendas and minutes at d49.org/transparency/board-of-education. The board's next steps on the online programs will shape what options those 4,700 families have for next school year.
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