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Enrollment Policy

CEC’s Enrollment Policy is consistent with and follows the requirements of Section 22-30.5-507 (3) of the Charter School Act.

CEC recruitment and enrollment decisions are made in a nondiscriminatory manner as outlined in 22-30.5-507(3), C.R.S. In all cases, student recruitment and enrollment decisions shall be made without regard to disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, language, religion, ancestry, need for special education services, or any other protected class.

Definitions

 Staff: Children of school employees, which includes children of staff or faculty members who work at least half-time, have full or joint custody of the child, and who started work on or before the first day of school of the year in which they are submitting the enrollment application.

 Siblings: Siblings of currently enrolled students, including siblings whose primary guardian(s) is (are) also the primary guardian(s) of other siblings already enrolled in the program (in the case of joint custody, primary guardians must have custody at least 50% of the time). This includes half-siblings, step-siblings, adopted siblings, cousins, and/or nieces/nephews being cared for by grandparents, etc.

 Pupil Count Day: October 1st or an alternate date established by the Colorado Department of Education or the Colorado Charter School Institute (CSI).

Enrollment Process

The community will be notified of CEC’s open enrollment process for full-time and part-time students through a variety of media options. CEC will utilize one or more of the following in multiple languages to ensure public awareness: social media, community partnerships, newspaper, radio, websites, and printed materials. CEC will hold public informational meetings at the CEC campuses and will target the educationally underserved by holding informational meetings at Boys and Girls Clubs and in low-income housing communities.

When the number of applicants exceeds the number of spaces available, CEC will use a nondiscriminatory method of filling available spaces. When enrollment exceeds capacity, existing schools will create a nondiscriminatory waitlist based on date of application.

Schools receiving a grant will fill available seats using a nondiscriminatory process consistent with Colorado law and Colorado Charter School Institute (CSI) guidance. Colorado Early Colleges (CEC) will maintain a waitlist as the primary method for managing enrollment when the number of applicants exceeds available seats. A lottery will only be conducted if required under CSI guidance, as outlined in this policy.

Use of a Waitlist

All applicants who are not initially offered admission will be placed on a waitlist. As seats become available, offers of enrollment will be extended strictly in the order in which applicants appear on the waitlist. In accordance with CSI guidance and Colorado statute, the waitlist may not be reordered, modified, or otherwise adjusted once established, and no additional preferences or priorities may be applied at this stage.

Use of a Lottery

If enrollment demand exceeds capacity and the school elects to apply allowable enrollment priorities, such as siblings of currently enrolled students or children of staff, CEC will conduct a lottery for all non-priority applicants. If a student is selected through the lottery and has a sibling who also seeks enrollment, that sibling may receive priority for admission so that siblings may attend the same CEC school, consistent with applicable law and CSI guidance.

CEC’s enrollment process includes additional features that assure compliance with public charter school grant requirements during any year in which any CEC school is receiving such a grant.

Enrollment Procedure

Parent/Guardians and students are encouraged to attend a CEC informational meeting to learn more about CEC’s full-time and part-time options. The school will clearly communicate at the informational meeting that any student residing in Colorado who satisfies the eligibility requirements of age and grade can enroll in CEC. Enrollment will open on or before November 1st each year for the following school year. Students currently enrolled at CEC are automatically re-enrolled. CEC will suspend enrollment when they determine a school is full and the waiting list is sufficient to fill any potential spaces that might open up before Pupil Count Day. CEC may re-open enrollment if space becomes available and the waiting list becomes exhausted before Pupil Count Day. Enrollment is based on a first-come, first-served basis when working from a waitlist, except when CEC conducts a lottery.

Its enrollment applications throughout the school year in accordance with applicable state law and Charter School Institute (CSI) requirements. Enrollment shall not be restricted or prohibited after a specific date, including October 1, except when: (1) no seats are available in the applicant’s grade level or program, or (2) the applicant meets lawful grounds for denial of enrollment as outlined in CEC policy and Colorado law. CEC recognizes that students and families may relocate, experience changes in housing, or require a school transfer during the school year, and therefore maintains enrollment opportunities on a rolling basis when capacity allows.

Registration Materials

  • Proof of Age – CEC will accept the following forms of documentation for proof of age: birth certificate, passport, state-issued ID, adoption papers, previously verified school records, Baptismal or church certificate, hospital certificate, physician’s certificate, or I-94 form. According to state statute, every child who has attained the age of six years on or before August 1st of each year and is under the age of 17 years shall attend public school for the state-required number of hours.
  • Enrollment Identity Verification and Document Retention Policy (SB 25-276 Compliance) – In alignment with Colorado SB 25-276, CEC will verify student identity during enrollment by reviewing an official document (e.g., birth certificate, passport, or government-issued ID) solely for the purpose of confirming the student’s legal name, date of birth, and gender to ensure accurate state identification and prevent duplicate records in the Record Integration Tracking System (RITS). CEC will not retain or permanently store copies of birth certificates or similar identity documents. Any documents temporarily submitted through Online Registration (OLR) will be used for verification prior to application posting and will be automatically deleted upon posting. Admissions staff are responsible for confirming required identity fields before submission.

 

For documents previously collected and stored, CEC will align its practices with Colorado SB 25-276 by discontinuing any continued retention of birth certificates or similar identity documents. Existing copies will not be actively maintained and will be securely deleted in accordance with CEC’s records retention and data governance policies. Schools are expected to delete previously stored birth certificates when they are encountered in the normal course of business (e.g., during file reviews, audits, or records processing), rather than maintaining or re-filing them. CEC will not rely on these documents for any ongoing operational purpose, and staff are prohibited from downloading, duplicating, or redistributing previously stored copies.

McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance and Education Act

Qualifying students are entitled to enroll in school immediately even if lacking documents normally required for enrollment or having missed application or enrollment deadlines during any period of homelessness.

 Foster Care

Children and youth in foster care have a right to immediate enrollment, regardless of the ability to produce records.

 Continuing Enrollment

Pursuant to Colorado state law, students who enroll in CEC will remain enrolled in CEC through the highest grade served by CEC absent expulsion, graduation, court-ordered placement, or IEP placement.

Students with Disabilities

CEC does not discriminate based on disability or need for special education in any recruitment or enrollment decisions. Students admitted with an IEP or 504 Plan from a previous school shall be placed directly in a program that meets the requirements of such IEP or 504 Plan until a review by the IEP team or a 504 Plan review meeting is held and the IEP or 504 Plan is changed. An IEP team meeting will be convened in accordance with state and federal law and CSI policies and procedures to ensure CEC can meet the students’ needs.

Indigent Students

CEC shall waive all fees, including fees for non-returned textbooks, for indigent students in accordance with applicable federal and state law. The school shall survey its student population for eligibility for free and reduced-price meals under federal guidelines in accordance with State Board of Education regulations.

Participation in Other Programs

No student may be jointly enrolled in CEC and in another public school or program without the written permission of CSI and CEC. Such written permission shall include the manner in which the costs of instruction shall be determined.

Denial of Admission

Admission to CEC is open to all eligible students unless a statutory provision permits the school to deny admission. Denial of admission will be based on applicable statutory regulations. The following may be grounds for denial of admission to CEC, but is not an exhaustive list:

  • Graduation from the 12th grade;
  • Failure to meet age requirements for kindergarten or first grade enrollment;
  • Having been expelled from any school district during the preceding 12 months;
  • Failure to comply with the immunization requirements set forth in 25-4-901 C.R.S.
  • Behavior in another school district during the preceding 12 months that is detrimental to the welfare or safety of other pupils or of school personnel.
  • The student meets another specific denial criterion authorized by state law or CSI policy.

 

No eligible student will be denied enrollment without the opportunity for a hearing, if one is requested.

When a student is denied enrollment, CEC will send written notice of the denial of enrollment to the email address listed on the student’s application. The notice will include:

  • The specific statutory basis for the denial
  • Instructions for requesting a hearing
  • The deadline for submitting a written hearing request

 

A hearing will be scheduled only if the student or the student’s parent/guardian submits a written request for a hearing within ten (10) business days of the notice of denial of enrollment being sent.

 If a hearing is requested, CEC will provide the student or parent/guardian with all records CEC intends to use as supporting evidence at least two (2) business days in which CEC is in session prior to the hearing. If additional relevant records are discovered, CEC will provide them immediately upon discovery.

 If no hearing is requested by the stated deadline, the denial of enrollment becomes final.

 If a hearing is requested, it will be scheduled as soon as practicable and conducted in accordance with applicable law.

At the hearing, the student may be represented by a parent or by an attorney licensed to practice in Colorado. Hearings are not open to the public. The student may request that the hearing be recorded; however, CEC does not guarantee that a recording will otherwise be made.

The hearing will be conducted by CEC’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), who will serve as the Hearing Officer unless prohibited under C.R.S. 22‑33‑105(2.4)(a)–(b). If the CEO is prohibited from serving, a qualified designee will be appointed.

The Hearing Officer will issue a written decision within five (5) business days of the hearing. CEC will email the decision, along with information about appeal rights, to the email address listed on the student’s application. A student denied enrollment has ten (10) days from the mailing date of the decision to appeal to the Board.

Questions?

CEC encourages staff, students, parents, and all members of the CEC community to become familiar with our policies and procedures. For questions or comments regarding our policies and procedures, please contact:

Melissa Talan, MBA
Director of Strategic Communications

Message Melissa Talan

SECTION: Students
Enrollment
Approved: 07/2026