Justice High Approved for More Students

Justice High School, a charter school authorized by the Boulder Valley School District, serves high-risk youth, many of whom have gone through the juvenile justice system. Magistrate T.J. Cole, the Justice HS principal, sees many of the students in his court room.

Recently the district approved an increase in the number of students Justice High can receive funding for. The only legally permissible way to cap students at a charter school is if there is a limitation on how many students can safely occupy the school's facility. Justice High's student population fluctuates during the school year when students are expelled from other schools.

Most school districts pay charter schools based on their October 1 count, or their annual count, which is the same way school districts are paid by the state. A handful of charter schools have more frequent counts throughout the school year and their funding is adjusted based on the count. Further, some districts have capped how much they'll fund a charter school that has gone above its annual projected student count. Justice High probably has a cap in its charter contract with BVSD, hence the need to increase its student cap.