Colorado Springs School District 11 moved Orton Academy, a charter school, into the Trailblazer Elementary building as the new school year began, a decision that immediately drew scrutiny from parents, students, and the local teachers union.
Trailblazer Elementary serves students from preschool through fifth grade and has a capacity of 550 students, though current enrollment sits at approximately 240 students. Orton Academy, which teaches students in second through eighth grade, previously operated out of a church basement. District 11 officials moved the charter school into the building to optimize unused space and broaden options for students with differing learning needs.
Parents expressed frustration over modified daily routines and reduced indoor space, noting that some students now eat lunch in classrooms or outdoors. One Trailblazer parent said families were not notified in advance about the changes. "No one told me that my kids were going to be eating outside until I picked up my daughter and asked her how her day was, and she started telling me about the new rules and all the new things that are going on," the parent said.
In addition to space constraints, parents raised questions about public funding utilization for charter institutions. One parent voiced concerns about taxpayer resources, saying, "I feel like public allocated funds should not be used for charter schools' profit, and I don't think that it's fair that a charter school can hop in and benefit off of a building and community that us as parents and as taxpayers have willingly paid for."
District leadership addressed the financial concerns by noting that charter facilities operate under rental agreements. Jessica Wise, executive director of engagement for District 11, said, "The charter school pays their rent wherever they are. What I want taxpayers to hear is we're thinking about this as we have this building; taxpayers have already paid for it. We better use it as best as we can."
Parents also raised concerns regarding staff facilities while a new teacher lounge is under construction for Trailblazer employees. Some parents pointed out that staff members were temporarily working out of an outdoor structure, though Wise clarified that the temporary workspace is a climate-controlled container rather than a shed. "It is a container that is outfitted with climate control. It's got windows. They have the ability to have refrigeration out there. It's a lovely space, but it is not meant to be a permanent space. And we'll get them into that brand new teacher's lounge as soon as possible," Wise said.
School administrators on both sides of the co-location pointed to academic benefits of the arrangement. The principal of Orton Academy called the arrangement "a great partnership with two leaders, who both have areas of specialties," saying it ensures the district is "serving our full community, our neurodivergent learners and our general education learners." The principal of Trailblazer noted the school was already seeing new family interest from households that have one child who needs what Orton offers and another who needs a more traditional setting.
The Colorado Springs Education Association raised concerns about the decision's impact on teachers, with the union's president characterizing Orton Academy's move into the public school as "yet another example of this school board's brazen corruption" and describing the arrangement as "a unilateral transfer of millions in our taxpayer dollars to an unaccountable private entity, all without community input and prior to school board approval." District 11 has not responded publicly to the union's characterization.
It remains to be seen whether the District 11 school board will take up a formal vote on the co-location arrangement, and whether parent and union concerns will prompt any changes to the building's current use.