Wyoming State Board to Hear Charter Appeal

The founders of Cheyenne Classical School have filed an appeal with the Wyoming State Board of Education to appeal the denial of the Laramie County School District (Cheyenne). Many charter schools in Colorado had to use this same process in order to get their schools approved initially. In fact, by 1998 when the Colorado Charter Schools Act was taken off pilot status, almost half of the then-operating charter schools were open due to the appeal process.

Cheyenne Classical School is based on the successful Ridgeview Classical Schools in Fort Collins. Founders of CCS claim the school district's hearing process was flawed because it resembled a debate rather than a hearing.

Over the years in Colorado, the State Board has repeatedly chastised school districts that did not give their charter school applicants a fair hearing. There is a misperception in school districts throughout the state that the State Board "always backs the charter school." This is not true because the hearing data shows a fairly even split on State Board decisions. But most districts have learned to be fair and have solid rationale for their decision-making.